New chief judge appointed for 29th Judicial District

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court has appointed District Judge Robert Burns as chief judge of the 29th Judicial District effective from May 4 through December 31, 2019.

Burns will succeed Judge R. Wayne Lampson, who will retire May 4.

The 29th Judicial District is composed of Wyandotte County.

"We are glad that Judge Burns has agreed to serve as chief judge, providing continuity in capable leadership in the 29th Judicial District," said Lawton Nuss, chief justice of the Kansas Supreme Court.

Burns was elected a district judge for the 29th Judicial District in 2004.

“I am honored to accept this appointment," Burns said. "I look forward to working with our judges, attorneys, clerks, and staff to provide a fair, efficient, and accessible court system in Wyandotte County. I would like to acknowledge and thank Chief Judge Wayne Lampson for the guidance and leadership he has provided to us during his distinguished tenure and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

A lifelong resident of Kansas City, Kansas, Burns received an undergraduate degree from Harvard University in 1988 and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School in 1991. He was in private practice from 1991 to 1995 and a legal department attorney for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, from 1996 to 2004.

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.