Supreme Court Published Opinions

A project of the Kansas Courts, in cooperation with Washburn University School of Law Library and University of Kansas School of Law Library.

This page provides a gateway to the published opinions of the Kansas Supreme Court and the Kansas Court of Appeals. Coverage begins with October 25, 1996. Access to opinions is provided via keyword searching. In addition, lists are available alphabetically by case name (Supreme Court and Court of Appeals), by docket number, and by date opinions are released (beginning May 1, 1998, includes lists of unpublished opinions). Opinions are normally added to this site within one hour of the time (usually 9:30 a.m. each Friday) they are transmitted by the Reporter's Office to the webmaster.

Information about the status of specific cases is also available through the Kansas Appellate Courts Case Inquiry System.

The Office of Judicial Administration also prepares brief summaries for selected Supreme Court cases.

NOTE: Slip opinions are subject to motions for rehearing and petitions for review prior to issuance of the mandate. Before citing a slip opinion, determine that the opinion has become final. Slip opinions also are subject to modification orders and editorial corrections prior to publication in the official reports. Consult the bound volumes of Kansas Reports and Kansas Court of Appeals Reports for the final, official texts of the opinions of the Kansas Supreme Court and the Kansas Court of Appeals. Attorneys are requested to call prompt attention to typographical or other formal errors; please notify Richard Ross, Reporter of Decisions, Kansas Judicial Center, 301 West 10th, Topeka, KS 66612-1598; e-mail, rossr [at] kscourts.org; phone, 785-296-3214.

The Kansas Cases website has been recognized and featured as the best Appellate Court Decisions website by the American Association of Law Libraries Access of Electronic Legal Information Committee.

Kansas Supreme Court Purpose and Authority

The Kansas Supreme Court sits in Topeka in the Kansas Judicial Center and is the state court of last resort. It hears direct appeals from the district courts in the most serious criminal cases and appeals in any case in which a statute has been held unconstitutional. It may review cases decided by the Court of Appeals, and may transfer cases from that court to the Supreme Court. It also has original jurisdiction in several types of cases.

The Supreme Court, by constitutional mandate, has general administrative authority over all Kansas courts. Its rules govern appellate practice in the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals, and procedures in the district courts. Supreme Court rules also provide for the examination and admission of attorneys, set forth the code of professional responsibility which governs the conduct of attorneys, and include the canons of judicial ethics which govern the conduct of judges. Rules also provide for the examination and certification of official court reporters. The Supreme Court may discipline attorneys, judges and nonjudicial employees.

All of the nonjudicial employees of the Kansas court system are under a personnel plan adopted and administered by the Supreme Court. Personnel and payroll records of all court employees throughout the State are maintained in the Office of Judicial Administration. The Supreme Court adopts and submits to the Kansas Legislature an annual budget for the entire judicial branch of State government.