Chief justice appears for jury duty

TOPEKA—Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss did what any Kansan should do when summoned to serve on a jury.

He showed up.

Nuss tweeted a photo of him and Shawnee County District Court jury coordinator Carol Bausch after learning that neither he nor the other potential jurors would be called to serve on Aug. 8 because the defendant pleaded guilty shortly after jury orientation was completed.

Nuss said District Judge Mark Braun thanked them for their service and dismissed them.

"My reporting for jury duty today at the Shawnee County Courthouse was a good reminder that any of us can be called away from our daily tasks to serve the cause of justice at its very roots," Nuss said.

Serving on a jury might often be seen as more of an annoyance than a civic responsibility, but Nuss noted that it's an obligation as old as the United States. The Constitution guarantees the right to be tried by a panel of one's peers.

"It was heartening to see so many of my fellow Kansans taking that responsibility so seriously. How many countries trust their citizens enough to allow them to directly participate in such important matters?" the chief justice said.