Chief Judge Moriarty of 10th judicial district to sit with Kansas Supreme Court October 27

TOPEKA — Chief Judge Kevin Moriarty of the 10th judicial district has been appointed to sit with the Kansas Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in one case on the court's 9 a.m. docket Thursday, October 27.

After hearing oral arguments, Moriarty will join Supreme Court justices in their deliberations and opinion drafting.

"I am pleased that Chief Judge Moriarty is taking time from his duties in the 10th judicial district to sit with the Supreme Court," said Chief Justice Lawton R. Nuss. "It's a great help to our court and we look forward to his contributions deliberating this case."

Moriarty received his bachelor's degree from Washburn University in 1975, his law degree from Washburn University School of Law in 1978, and Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas in 1984. He was appointed district judge in 2004, and he currently serves as chief judge of the 10th judicial district. He is a member of the Kansas Judicial Council Advisory Committee and 10th Judicial District Nominating Commission.

"It is a tremendous privilege and honor to have the opportunity to sit with the Kansas Supreme Court," Moriarty said. "Every attorney always hope he or she might be able to sit with their state's Supreme Court, and I am no different from other attorneys. It is a true honor."

All Supreme Court oral arguments are webcast live through the Watch Supreme Court Live! link in the right-hand column of the Kansas Judicial Branch website at www.kscourts.org.

The case Moriarty will hear is the third one scheduled on the Supreme Court's 9 a.m. docket Thursday, October 27:

Appeal No. 115,002: In re John P. Biscanin, Respondent

Original Proceeding Related to Attorney Discipline: (Two-year Suspension) Biscanin admitted keeping $10,000 in cash belonging to a client in his office safe rather than his trust account and also to poor record keeping regarding his trust account. Biscanin is also accused of entering a business transaction with a client. The hearing panel concluded that Biscanin violated two provisions of the Kansas Rules of Professional Conduct and recommended that his license to practice law be suspended for two years. After serving three months of the suspension, the hearing panel recommended Biscanin be placed on supervised probation for two years.