Court of Appeals

Court of Appeals judges are selected by the governor from a list of qualified individuals submitted to him by the Supreme Court Nominating Commission. The judges serve terms of four years. One of the Court of Appeals judges is appointed chief judge of the Court of Appeals by the Supreme Court.

Court of Appeals judges ordinarily do not conduct trials. They decide an appealed case by reading the record of the trial and written briefs filed by the parties, and hearing oral arguments of lawyers. They research and review the law involved in the case and then write an opinion which is usually published in bound volumes.

The members of the Court of Appeals sit in panels of three at locations throughout the state, including the primary courtroom in the Kansas Judicial Center. Each panel typically take up 30 appeals over a two-day period every month.

Decisions of the Court of Appeals are filed with the Clerk of the Appellate Courts weekly, usually on Friday mornings at 9:30 a.m. They are then posted on this website within one hour of the time (usually 9:30 a.m. each Friday) they are transmitted by the Reporter's Office to the webmaster by Date of Release.