Kansas judges Archives - Page 2 of 3 Voice For Liberty

Oct

Kansas and Wichita quick takes: Thursday October 21, 2010

Honest journalist too much for NPR. Juan Williams has been fired by National Public Radio. His offense: He spoke in a not-politically-correct way about Muslims. On Monday's O'Reilly Factor Williams said: "But when I get on a plane -- I got to tell you -- if I see people who are in Muslim garb, and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and foremost as Muslims, I get worried. I get nervous." According to Williams, NPR said this is a bigoted remark that "crossed the line." Across all forms of media, this is sure to be a big…

Feb

By Bob Weeks

Kansas Justice Selection

Some commentary from Americans For Prosperity -- Kansas about a bill that would change the way Kansas chooses its justices: Lawyers are soooo smart. More coverage of this issue: Kansas Must Change Its Judicial Selection Method Kansas has the appearance, without the reality, of judicial accountability What Impact do Kansas Voters Have on Judges? Here’s Why Kansans Need to Take Control

Jan

By Bob Weeks

Here’s Why Kansans Need to Take Control

As an introduction to my post What Impact do Kansas Voters Have on Judges?, Todd Epp of Kansas Watch writes "Um, this lawyer suggests, hopefully none?!" My post mentions Kansas University Law Professor Stephen Ware's call for an end to the lawyer-dominated process of selection Kansas judges. Mr. Epp's reaction -- and he is a lawyer -- should strengthen the resolve of Kansans to take control of this process away from lawyers and their narrow self-interest.

Jan

By Bob Weeks

What impact do Kansas voters have on judges?

Recently a Kansas blog covered a political event and wrote this in a post titled Defending America Summit Brought out the Wingnuts: Stephen Ware, Professor at the University of Kansas Law School: "What’s unusual about Kansas is about how little the people’s wishes matter. There are no checks and balances in the judicial selection process." ********. It's called a retention voted [sic]. Don't like Justice Dan Biles? Vote him out in a year. And, hey, aren't all professors supposed to be crazy liberals? I asked Mr. Ware about the value of retention votes in giving a voice to the people.…

Jun

By Bob Weeks

Socialism And Big Government Expand In Kansas

By Karl Peterjohn, Kansas Taxpayers Network State owned and operated casinos are constitutional and permissible in Kansas. The extremely activist and left-wing Kansas Supreme Court unanimously ruled June 27 that state owned and operated casinos were legal in Kansas. For many statehouse observers this wasn’t a surprise. The Kansas Supreme Court is dominated by liberal Democrats with three of its seven members having been appointed by Governor Sebelius. Since there has never been any statewide votes by Kansans authorizing a change in the Kansas Constitution to authorize state owned casinos. The Kansas top court has ruled that under the provisions…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Kansas must change its judicial selection method

From our friends at Kansas Liberty: The Kansas Supreme Court is a private club filled with people you've never heard of until they pass some tax you have to pay or invent some law you don't want. There is a way to fix this, but you won't like it, says Denis Boyles. Read the full story at Kansas Liberty. Professor Stephen J. Ware of the Kansas University School of Law writes this in a Lawrence Journal-World editorial: What makes the Kansas Supreme Court selection process unusual is not that it’s political, but that it gives so much political power to…

May

By Bob Weeks

Judicial Scandal Grows

Judicial Scandal Grows As $3 Billion Public School Spending Bill Advances By Karl Peterjohn, Kansas Taxpayers Network, www.kansastaxpayers.com The Kansas legislature's school spending spree is racing the latest developments in the judicial-legislative misconduct scandal over school finance in Kansas. The outcome of this race could influence the size of the spending spree going on at the Kansas statehouse right now. The latest revelations on the school finance scandal brings the governor into the story. Senate President Steve Morris has now informed at least some in the statehouse press that he told the governor about his meeting with Supreme Court Justice…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Summary of blogging on judicial ethics in Kansas

News accounts report that there will be an investigation into the lunch that Kansas Supreme Court Justice Lawton Nuss shared with legislators. If it is the Kansas Commission on Judicial Qualifications that performs this investigation, I doubt we will see much happen. Last year, I along with Karl Peterjohn of the Kansas Taxpayers Network filed complaints with this commission against Justices Allegrucci and Nuss. I thought we made compelling cases, but the commission disagreed. (You may read my complaints and commentary in the links referred to below.) There was very little reporting in Kansas news media. Only lately has Kansas…

Apr

By Bob Weeks

Kansas Judiciary Gets National Criticism

Kansas Judiciary Gets National Criticism Karl Peterjohn, Kansas Taxpayers Network The school finance litigation began in the 1980's in Kansas and has continued and expanded in the 21st Century. The first lawsuit was tragic, but now Kansas is becoming a judicial joke, albeit a very expensive demonstration of judicial activism and contempt for the democratic principles that are the foundation for not only this state, but for this republic. Kansas is now getting negative national attention created by the judicial activism coming from the Kansas Supreme Court. Kansas is not alone in judicial activism but the attention focused upon the…

Mar

By Bob Weeks

Judicial Reform in Kansas on Hold

Thank you to Alan Cobb of Americans For Prosperity, Kansas for this report on this needed measure for judicial reform in Kansas. The current system of Kansas Supreme Court selection, the mis-named "merit system," is a secretive, closed system dominated by lawyers. Kansas lawyers elect themselves to the Kansas Supreme Court selection board. There are no campaign finance filings, no reports, no public meetings. It is time to bring this system out into the light of day. However two attempts to reform this system failed in the Kansas Senate this week. A proposed constitutional amendment that would require Senate confirmation…