Prosecutor seeks 3rd trial for Kansas woman in 2 killings
September 27, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas prosecutor has indicated that he intends to try a woman for the third time in the killings of her ex-husband and his girlfriend two decades ago.
Dana Chandler is accused of killing 47-year-old Mike Sisco and his fiancee, 53-year-old Karen Harkness, in 2002 in Topeka.
Court rejects appeal of Wichita woman convicted in beheading
August 19, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday upheld the conviction and sentence of a Wichita woman accused of beheading her ex-boyfriend’s mother.
Rachael Hilyard, 40, was convicted in 2020 of first-degree murder in the killing 63-year-old Micki Davis three years earlier.
Eudora woman will face new trial in day care death case
August 19, 2022 GMTLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas woman will be tried again in the death of a 9-month-old boy at a home day care, despite a Kansas Supreme Court ruling on Friday that let stand a ruling reversing her conviction.
Kansas court: Self-defense doesn’t apply when bystander hurt
July 29, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas law allowing deadly force against an attacker doesn't protect people from prosecution if a bystander is injured, the state's highest court declared Friday.
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in the case of a Wichita police officer whose shots at a charging dog wounded a 9-year-old girl.
Kansas Supreme Court disbars former prosecutor
May 20, 2022 GMTThe Kansas Supreme Court on Friday disbarred former prosecutor Jacqie Spradling for her conduct during a double-murder trial in Topeka in 2012.
The court said while Spradling was a prosecutor in Shawnee County, she engaged in “repeated patterns of misconduct” during the trial of Dana Chandler, who was convicted of killing her husband and his fiance.
Kansas Supreme Court upholds Republican congressional map
May 18, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republicans on Wednesday improved their chances of flipping the only Kansas congressional seat held by a Democrat, when the state’s highest court upheld the new congressional map they drew.
Kansas court wrestles with barring political gerrymandering
May 17, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A top Kansas government attorney argued Monday that congressional redistricting is naturally political and that the Kansas Supreme Court shouldn't try to decide when partisanship goes too far, only to be chastised by one of the justices for making a “boys will be boys” argument.
Redistricting has Kansas lawmakers planning to return May 23
April 29, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The possibility that the Kansas Supreme Court will overturn new political redistricting laws has prompted the Republican-controlled Legislature to reconvene May 23.
Lawmakers wrapped up almost all of their other business for the year early Friday and adjourned for almost a month.
Kansas judge rejects congressional map; appeal promised
April 25, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas district court judge on Monday struck down a new Republican-backed congressional map that would likely make it harder for the only Democrat in the state's delegation to win reelection this year.
Attorneys for voters saw redistricting law is gerrymandering
April 11, 2022 GMTKANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A newly redrawn Kansas congressional map is partisan gerrymandering designed to cost the state’s only Democrat in Congress some of her territory and drown out the voices of minority voters, attorneys representing voters in two heavily affected counties argued in closing arguments Monday.
Man whose murder conviction was reversed is resentenced
April 11, 2022 GMTWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A Wichita man who was facing life in prison for a 2016 killing has been resentenced to a total of 13 years in prison after his murder conviction was reversed.
Casimiro Nunez, 65, was convicted of first-degree murder in 2019 for the death of Antonio Guzman, 46, in October 2019 in south Wichita.
Court upholds sentence in 2018 Junction City deaths
March 12, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man who pleaded guilty to killing a Junction City woman and her unborn baby on Christmas Day in 2018 has lost an appeal of his sentences.
The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday rejected an appeal from Dion Jamal Green, who pleaded guilty in 2020 to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 31-year-old Jenna Schafer and her baby.
GOP pushes changes in how top Kansas court spots are filled
March 9, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Conservatives have revived their longstanding efforts to move the Kansas Supreme Court to the right by changing how its justices are selected.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved two rival proposals to amend the Kansas Constitution to change how Supreme Court justices are selected.
Kansas AG asking judge to dismiss redistricting lawsuits
March 8, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Attorney General Derek Schmidt is asking a Wyandotte County judge to dismiss two lawsuits filed over new Kansas congressional district lines enacted by Republican lawmakers.
Court refuses to dismiss suits alleging gerrymandering
March 4, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday refused to dismiss three lawsuits that challenge new Republican-drawn congressional redistricting maps.
Attorney General Derek Schmidt made the request, arguing that the state court system does not have jurisdiction to decide disputes over redistricting for federal offices.
Kansas Supreme Court asked to dismiss redistricting lawsuits
February 19, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office has asked the Kansas Supreme Court to dismiss two lawsuits that challenge new Republican-drawn congressional redistricting maps.
In a petition filed Friday, Schmidt's office argued the state court system does not have jurisdiction to decide disputes over redistricting for federal offices.
Kansas Supreme Court upholds conviction in triple killing
February 4, 2022 GMTLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Topeka man's conviction in the shooting deaths of three people in Lawrence n 2017.
Anthony L. Roberts Jr., was convicted on June 25, 2019 in the deaths, which occurred after a fight between two groups of people from Topeka erupted into gunfire, with more than 20 shots fired.
Kansas Supreme Court takes no action against former judge
January 28, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court said Friday it would take no further action against a former county judge who sent nude photos of himself to a online site of swingers.
The court accepted a disciplinary panel’s ruling that former Russell County Magistrate Judge Marty Clark violated rules of judicial conduct by sharing the photos.
Death sentences upheld in case dubbed ‘the Wichita massacre’
January 21, 2022 GMTMISSION, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court upheld the death sentences Friday of two brothers who were sentenced in 2002 for four killings known as “the Wichita massacre.”
Jonathan and Reginald Carr argued that a ruling declaring that the state constitution protects access to abortion opened the door to a new legal attack on the death penalty.
Kansas court ruling keeps law allowing COVID lawsuits alive
January 7, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' highest court on Friday kept intact a law that allows people to sue counties over mask mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions and obtain quick trial-court decisions.
The Kansas Supreme Court declined to consider whether a law requiring trial-court judges to rule on such lawsuits within 10 days is constitutional.
Kansas high court to be asked to review prison dentist case
January 4, 2022 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay will ask the Kansas Supreme court to review a decision that overturned the conviction of a former prison dentist for having sexual relations with a female inmate.
Kansas court upholds murder conviction over road rage death
December 30, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a Topeka man over a fatal road rage shooting more than five years ago.
Kansas Supreme Court takes up overturned day care death case
November 25, 2021 GMTLAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has agreed to consider an appeals court decision overturning the conviction of a day care worker in the death of a 9-month-old.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office is seeking to have the murder conviction against Carrody Buchhorn reinstated.
Kansas Supreme Court debates judge who shared nude photos
October 29, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court is considering whether a retired judge should be disciplined for sending nude photos of himself to an online site for swingers.
The court heard arguments Thursday in the case of former Russell County Magistrate Judge Marty Clark, who retired in May, three days before the Kansas Commission on Judicial Conduct recommended that he be disciplined.
Ex-school counselor gets new trial on charges of raping boy
September 24, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A former central Kansas middle school counselor convicted of raping a student will get a new trial to consider her arguments that the then-13-year-old boy forced her to have sex the first time and blackmailed her into continuing.
Ruling: City conviction requires sex offender registration
August 27, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court ruled Friday that a man's municipal conviction for sexual battery requires him to register as a sex offender.
Kansas can enforce COVID-inspired limits on officials’ power
August 24, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — People who oppose mask requirements or restrictions on public gatherings imposed by Kansas counties can challenge them in court and obtain a ruling within 10 days — at least for now — because of a decision Tuesday by the state's highest court.
Kansas Court: Man who killed woman not a sex offender
July 30, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man who beat an Overland Park woman and then left her to die does not have to register as a sex offender, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled Friday.
Korrey Raine White Rinke was sentenced i n December 2019 to life in prison with a chance of parole in 25 years for the death of Julianna Pappas, 46, in 2016.
AG to ask Kansas Supreme Court to reconsider abortion ruling
July 7, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Wednesday that he will ask the Kansas Supreme Court to reconsider a historic 2019 ruling declaring access to abortion a “fundamental right” under the state constitution.
Kansas prosecutor resigns posts amid misconduct allegations
June 18, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas prosecutor accused of misleading juries in two cases has resigned from her positions in Bourbon and Allen counties, just weeks after a disciplinary panel recommended she be disbarred.
State panel recommends Kansas prosecutor be disbarred
June 6, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A state board unanimously recommended Friday that the Kansas Supreme Court disbar a prosecutor who's accused of misleading juries in two separate cases, actions that caused them to be overturned by higher courts.
Kansas license suspension reforms stumble in Legislature
May 29, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Supreme Court staff stepped in this spring to oppose legislation meant to address issues surrounding drivers license suspensions for unpaid traffic fines, an issue pushed by activists for racial justice and the poor nationwide.
Brothers’ death sentences for Wichita murders reviewed again
May 25, 2021 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two brothers who were sentenced to die in 2002 for four killings known as “the Wichita massacre” are back before the Kansas Supreme Court seeking to have their sentences commuted to life in prison.
Kansas Supreme Court tosses murder conviction of Wichita man
May 14, 2021 GMTWICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court tossed out on Friday the murder conviction of a Wichita man who claimed he was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot a man who had attacked him with a knife in his home.
Kansas court overturns brothers’ death sentences
July 25, 2014 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday overturned the death sentences of two brothers convicted of killing four friends who were robbed and forced to engage in sex acts before being shot to death and left in a snow-covered Wichita field.