Kansas Supreme Court appoints Joni Wilson-Colby to Ad Hoc Virtual Court Proceedings Committee

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court appointed Joni Wilson-Colby to the Ad Hoc Virtual Court Proceedings Committee. 

Wilson-Colby is the court administrator in the 18th Judicial District, which is Sedgwick County.  

The Supreme Court created the committee in June 2020 to study and recommend best practices for using videoconferencing in Kansas courts. 

The committee is studying: 

• current abilities to conduct court proceedings virtually; 

• the tools needed to expand virtual court proceedings; 

• how to maximize efficiencies by conducting court proceedings virtually; 

• how to communicate with court users about virtual court proceedings; 

• statutory or rule-based impediments to implementing committee recommendations; and 

• other topics benefitting the courts in planning and implementing virtual court proceedings. 

Chief Judge Nick St. Peter chairs the committee. He serves in the 19th Judicial District, which is Cowley County. 

Other members of the committee are: 

• Chief Judge Kevin Berens of the 15th Judicial District, composed of Cheyenne, Logan, Rawlins, Sherman, Thomas, and Wallace counties 

• District Judge Tyler Roush of the 18th Judicial District, which is Sedgwick County 

• District Judge John Weingart of the 22nd Judicial District, composed of Brown, Doniphan, Marshall, and Nemaha counties 

• Municipal Judge Karen Torline, City of Shawnee 

• Stephanie Gerken, chief clerk of the district court in the 6th Judicial District, composed of Bourbon, Linn, and Miami counties 

• Kim Schwarz, chief clerk of the district court of the 15th Judicial District, composed of Cheyenne, Logan, Rawlins, Sherman, Thomas, and Wallace counties 

• Douglas Hamilton, clerk of the district court in the 7th Judicial District, which is Douglas County 

• Jennifer Leach, clerk of the district court in the 10th Judicial District, which is Johnson County 

• Katherine Oliver, clerk of the district court in the 21st Judicial District, composed of Clay and Riley counties 

• Jennifer Olson, court reporter in the 3rd Judicial District, which is Shawnee County 

• Marilyn Targos, administrative assistant in the 30th Judicial District, composed of Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt, and Sumner counties 

• Amber Smith, deputy judicial administrator and general counsel, Office of Judicial Administration