Supreme Court reappoints chief judges, appoints two new chief judges

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court has reappointed 29 chief judges in Kansas and appointed two new chief judges. Their terms are effective January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2015.

The court appointed Evelyn Wilson as chief judge of the 3rd Judicial District, which is Shawnee County. She has served as a district judge since 2004. She succeeds Nancy Parrish as chief judge. Parish will continue to serve as a district judge.

The court appointed Kevin Moriarty as chief judge of the 10th Judicial District, which is Johnson County. He has served as a district judge since 2004. He succeeds Thomas Foster as chief judge. Foster will continue to serve as a district judge.

Chief judges reappointed:

1st Judicial District, composed of Atchison and Leavenworth counties:

• Chief Judge David King has served as a district judge since 1986 and chief judge since 1990.

2nd Judicial District, composed of Jefferson, Jackson, Wabaunsee, and Pottawatomie counties:

• Chief Judge Gary Nafziger has served as a district judge since 1982 and as chief judge since 2006.

4th Judicial District, composed of Anderson, Coffey, Franklin, and Osage counties:

• Chief Judge Phillip Fromme has served as a district since 1996 and chief judge since 2003.

5th Judicial District, composed of Lyon and Chase counties:

• Chief Judge Merlin Wheeler has served as a district judge since 1990 and as chief judge since 1998.

6th Judicial District, composed of Bourbon, Linn, and Miami counties:

• Chief Judge Richard "Dick" Smith has served as a district judge since 1989 and chief judge since 2003.

7th Judicial District, which is Douglas County:

• Chief Judge Robert Fairchild has served as a judge since 1996 and chief judge since 2002.

8th Judicial District, composed of Geary, Dickinson, Marion, and Morris counties:

• Chief Judge Michael Powers has served as a district judge since 1991 and chief judge since 1994.

9th Judicial District, composed of Harvey and McPherson counties:

• Chief Judge Richard Walker has served as a district judge since 1985 and chief judge since 2002.

11th Judicial District, composed of Cherokee, Crawford, and Labette counties.

• Chief Judge A.J. Wachter has served as a district judge since 2002 and chief judge since 2013.

12th Judicial District, composed of Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Republic, and Washington counties:

• Chief Judge Kim Cudney has served as a district judge and chief judge since 2006.

13th Judicial District, composed of Butler, Greenwood, and Elk counties:

• Chief Judge David Ricke has served as a district judge since 2004 and chief judge since 2012.

14th Judicial District, composed of Chautauqua and Montgomery counties:

• Chief Judge Roger Gossard has served as a district judge since 2003 and chief judge since 2009.

15th Judicial District, composed of Cheyenne, Logan, Sheridan, Sherman, Rawlins, Thomas, and Wallace counties:

• Chief Judge Glenn Schiffner has served as district judge and chief judge since 1993.

16th Judicial District, composed of Clark, Comanche, Ford, Gray, Kiowa, and Meade counties:

• Chief Judge Daniel L. Love has been a district court judge since 1989 and chief judge since 2001.

17th Judicial District, composed of Decatur, Norton, Phillips, Smith, Graham, and Osborne counties:

• Chief Judge Preston Pratt has served as a district judge and chief judge since 2011.

18th Judicial District, which is Sedgwick County:

• Chief Judge James Fleetwood has served as district judge since 1997 and chief judge since 2009.

19th Judicial District, which is Cowley County:

• Chief Judge Nicholas St. Peter has served as a district judge since 2004 and chief judge since 2010.

20th Judicial District, composed of Barton, Ellsworth, Rice, Russell, and Stafford counties:

• Chief Judge Mike Keeley has served as a district judge since 1993 and chief judge since 2004.

21st Judicial District, composed of Clay and Riley counties:

• Chief Judge Meryl D. Wilson has served as district judge since April 1997 and chief judge since 2012.

22nd Judicial District, composed of Doniphan, Brown, Nemaha, and Marshall counties:

• Chief Judge James Patton has served as a district judge since January 1995 and chief judge since 2001.

23rd Judicial District, composed of Ellis, Gove, Rooks, and Trego counties:

• Chief Judge Edward Bouker has served as a district judge since 1993 and chief judge since 1996.

24th Judicial District, composed of Edwards, Hodgeman, Lane, Ness, Pawnee, and Rush counties:

• Chief Judge Bruce Gatterman has served as a district judge and chief judge since 2003.

25th Judicial District, composed of Finney, Kearny, Hamilton, Greeley, Wichita, and Scott counties:

• Chief Judge Wendel W. Wurst has served as district judge since 2009 and chief judge since 2012.

26th Judicial District, composed of Grant, Haskell, Morton, Seward, Stanton, and Stevens counties:

• Chief Judge Bradley Ambrosier has served as a district judge and chief judge since 2009.

27th Judicial District, which is Reno County:

• Chief Judge Patricia Macke Dick has served as a district judge since 1989 and chief judge since 2007.

28th Judicial District, composed of Saline and Ottawa counties:

• Chief Judge Jerome Hellmer has served as a district judge since 1996 and chief judge since 2010.

29th Judicial District, which is Wyandotte County:

• Chief Judge Wayne Lampson has served as a district judge since 1995 and chief judge since 2008.

30th Judicial District, composed of Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt, and Sumner counties:

• Chief Judge Larry Solomon has served as a district judge since 1989 and chief judge since 1991.

31st Judicial District, composed of Allen, Neosho, Wilson, and Woodson counties:

• Chief Judge Daniel Creitz has served as a district judge since May 2002 and chief judge since 2011.

Each of Kansas' 31 judicial districts has a chief judge who, in addition to his or her judicial responsibilities, has general control over case assignments within the district, as well as general supervisory authority over the administrative and clerical functions of the court.