Court of Appeals to convene in Lawrence

TOPEKA—The appeal of former University of Kansas student Matthew Jaeger, convicted of kidnapping and assaulting his former girlfriend by a Douglas County jury in 2009, will be among 14 cases scheduled for argument to three Kansas Court of Appeals judges on October 18 and 19 at the Douglas County Courthouse.

Jaeger received a prison sentence of 106 months. His lawyers have asserted eight separate trial errors in the appeal. The Kansas Attorney General's office contends that Jaeger received a fair trial and his conviction should be upheld. Argument in that case is scheduled for the morning of October 18.

The Court of Appeals panel will hear civil, criminal, and workers compensation cases from Douglas, Johnson, and several other counties during the two-day session. Hearing the cases will be Judge G. Gordon Atcheson, Judge Karen Arnold-Burger, and Judge David Bruns. They are the three most recent appointees to the Court of Appeals. Judge Atcheson joined the court in September 2010 after practicing law for 29 years. Judge Arnold-Burger and Judge Bruns were appointed earlier this year. Judge Arnold-Burger served as a municipal court judge in Overland Park for 20 years. Judge Bruns had been a district court judge in Shawnee County since 1999.

"We look forward to sitting in Douglas County," said Judge Atcheson, who will serve as presiding judge. "As always, we will hear from excellent lawyers in a number of interesting and challenging cases." Judge Atcheson noted that the Court of Appeals has been scheduling arguments in judicial districts across the state throughout the year in a continuing effort "to bring the court to the people."

Last year, the Court of Appeals processed about 1,700 cases.