Judges Assistance Committee

Purpose

The Judges Assistance Committee provides help to any Kansas judge in need due to mental or physical disability, or addiction.

The Judges Assistance Committee seeks to:

• Identify judges who are impaired;

• Arrange intervention;

• Recommend avenues of treatment;

• Provide a program of peer support;

• Advocate for judges who are ill and help them recognize their impairment, obtain treatment, and return to their job; and

• Educate the public and attorneys about the nature of impairments and encourage early referrals and self-referrals.

Confidentiality

Contact with judges is confidential, unless the matter is referred to the Commission on Judicial Conduct because the judge has failed or refused to address issues of concern.

Roster

• District Judge Ben Burgess, Sedgwick County 

• District Magistrate Judge Marty Clark, Russell County

• District Magistrate Judge Richard Flax, Trego County

• District Judge Michael Hoelscher, Sedgwick County

• District Judge Sally Pokorny, Douglas County

• District Magistrate Judge Dale Snyder, Rush County

• District Judge Mark Ward, Bourbon County

Contact

A judge or member of the public can contact the committee or any committee member directly.

Judges Assistance Committee
Kansas Judicial Center
301 SW 10th Ave., Room 107
Topeka, KS 66612-1507
785-296-2913
judgeassist@kscourts.org