TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court announced the two cases it will hear in a special session Monday, October 7, at El Dorado, the next destination in the court's ongoing outreach to familiarize Kansans with the high court, its work, and the overall role of the Kansas judiciary.
The court will be in session from 6:30 p.m. to about 8 p.m. in the auditorium at El Dorado High School, 401 McCollum Road. After the session concludes, the justices will greet the public in an informal reception in the commons outside the auditorium.
“The Supreme Court extends a personal invitation to the people of El Dorado and surrounding communities to come see your state's highest court in action,” said Chief Justice Lawton Nuss. “It’s a much more personal experience than watching the online broadcasts we’ve provided of all our court sessions since 2012. Plus, we get the pleasure of visiting with you afterward.”
The October 7 docket includes the following cases:
Appeal No. 118,448: State of Kansasv. Howard R. Pruitt
Butler County: (Criminal Appeal) Pruitt appeals his first-degree murder conviction and hard-25 life sentence he received in Butler County District Court. He contends the prosecutor, in closing arguments, gave personal opinions about disputed facts and urged the jury to convict him out of sympathy for the victim. He also claims the court erred when it denied his motion for a new trial based on one juror sleeping through part it. Combined with other errors, Pruitt alleges he was denied a fair trial.
Appeal No. 119,278: GFTLenexa LLC v. City of Lenexa
Johnson County: (Civil Appeal) GFTLenexa LLC leased property that was reduced in size when the City of Lenexa condemned part of it to widen a street. GFTLenexa lost some rental income from a sublessee because the property size was reduced. GFTLenexa sued the City to recover its lost rental income, asserting a claim of inverse condemnation. The district court ruled in favor of the City. GFTLenexa appeals, arguing in part the district court wrongly found the property lease prohibited suing the City.
Summaries of the cases and briefs filed by the attorneys involved are available online by following the El Dorado Special Session link under What’s New on the Kansas judicial branch website at www.kscourts.org.
Anyone who wants to attend the special session should plan to arrive early at the high school to allow time to get through security screening. The doors open at 6 p.m. Court security offers these guidelines to ease the process:
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Do not bring food or drink.
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Do not bring large bags, large purses, backpacks, computer cases, or briefcases; small handbags are permitted.
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Do not bring knives, pepper spray, firearms, or weapons.
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Do not bring electronic devices like laptop computers, handheld games, personal digital assistants, or tablets. If you must carry a cell phone, turn it off and store it out of sight while court is in session.
Audience members are prohibited from talking during oral arguments because it interferes with the attorneys’ remarks and justices' questions. Those arriving after proceedings start or leaving before they end should be as quiet as possible entering and exiting the auditorium. Talking immediately outside the auditorium also is discouraged.
The special session will also be broadcast live over the Internet. The livestream may be accessed selecting the Watch Supreme Court Live! link on the judicial branch home page at www.kscourts.org.
The Supreme Court has conducted 17 special sessions outside its Topeka courtroom since 2011, when it marked the state's 150th anniversary by convening in the historic Supreme Court courtroom in the Kansas Statehouse. From there, and through the end of 2011, the court conducted special sessions in Salina, Greensburg, and Wichita.
The court visited Overland Park in 2012; Pittsburg in 2013; Kansas City, Kansas, in 2014; Hays and Garden City in 2015; Topeka, Hiawatha, and Hutchinson in 2016; Winfield and Emporia in 2017; Colby and Manhattan in 2018; and Lawrence in 2019. The court started conducting evening sessions when it visited Fort Hays State University in April 2015. The court's visit to Lawrence in April 2019 drew a record crowd for an evening session of about 800 people.