Local judges to sit with Supreme Court

TOPEKA—Barton County District Judge Hannelore Kitts and Dickinson County Judge Benjamin Sexton will be sitting with the state Supreme Court in its historic session April 13 in Salina to hear an appeal in one of four matters on the Court's docket. The hearing marks the first session in which the Supreme Court is presiding at a location other than Topeka.

The Supreme Court designated Judge Kitts and Judge Sexton to join them in place of Justices Carol A. Beier and Nancy Moritz, who recused in the case of Cory Saylor v. Westar Energy, Inc., which is a petition for review of a Court of Appeals decision. The judges will hear oral arguments in a case involving a worker's compensation appeal and then participate in the high court deliberations and opinion drafting.

Chief Justice Lawton R. Nuss said the district judges were designated to join them for the appeal based on their reputation as good district court judges. "We are especially appreciative of their willingness to take time from their busy dockets to assist the Supreme Court in deciding this appeal," Chief Justice Nuss said.

Judge Kitts was appointed to her current position as district judge by former Gov. Bill Graves in 1995. Since that time, she has been handling criminal cases in Barton County and civil and criminal cases in the other counties of the 20th Judicial District, including Barton, Ellsworth, Rice, Russell and Stafford counties.

Judge Sexton was appointed to the bench in January 2001, also by Gov. Graves. A 1983 graduate of Kansas State University, he received his law degree from the Washburn University School of Law in 1986. He was engaged in private practice upon his graduation until his judicial appointment.

The oral arguments will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the Salina City County Building.