Four individuals appointed to Kansas Sentencing Commission

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court appointed two new members to the Kansas Sentencing Commission and reappointed two others.

Kansas Court of Appeals Judge Stephen Hill and District Judge Benjamin Sexton will serve two-year terms ending June 30, 2020.

The court reappointed District Judge Lee Fowler and Chris Mechler of the judicial branch's Office of Judicial Administration to two-year terms, also ending June 30, 2020.

Hill is a former district judge who has served on the Court of Appeals since 2003. Sexton serves in Dickinson County of the 8th Judicial District. Fowler serves in Lyon County of the 5th Judicial District. Mechler is a court services officer specialist to the state's district courts.

The Legislature established the commission to evaluate sentencing guidelines and advise and recommend changes to the secretary of corrections and legislators. The chief justice or a designee of the Supreme Court serves on the 17-member commission, and the Supreme Court also appoints two district court judges and a court services officer.

Other commission members represent the attorney general, public defenders, defense counselors, district attorneys, the secretary of corrections, the state parole board, community corrections, legislators, and the general public.

Chief Justice Lawton Nuss named Hill as his designee. Hill succeeds Court of Appeals Judge Patrick McAnany. Sexton succeeds Chief Judge Evelyn Wilson, who serves in Shawnee County of the 3rd Judicial District.

Wilson currently chairs the sentencing commission, and Fowler is the vice chair.