TOPEKA—Ruth Lloyd has worked for the Kansas judicial branch for 38 years, but she will try something new when she serves as honorary bailiff for the Kansas Supreme Court when it convenes for a special session at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 4, in the B.J. Warner Recital Hall at Hutchinson Community College.
"This will be totally new for me," Lloyd said, adding that she's only a little nervous about pounding a gavel and calling the hall to order when the court enters.
Lloyd has been a court services officer in Reno County for 31 years and in public service for 43 years.
As a court services officer, she works with people who have been convicted of crimes to help them stay out of legal trouble. But probation work wasn't always her ambition.
"When I started working for the courts, I was studying to be a high school English teacher. I decided I wanted to be a court services officer after seeing what it entails," Lloyd said. "I am proud of the work I do to protect my community, and I really enjoy helping people find a better life path."
In all her years with the courts, Lloyd said she's never seen a bailiff bring a courtroom to order. She said her work begins after the court proceedings end. Plus, her duties as a court services officer keep her so busy she doesn't have time to watch what's going on in the courtroom.
Lloyd was recommended for the bailiff role by Chief Judge Patricia Macke Dick of the Reno County District Court.
"I nominated Ruth to be honorary bailiff because she demonstrates the dedication and commitment that is so common among our court employees," Macke Dick said. "Almost her entire career has been in service to the people of Kansas and most of it to residents of Reno County."
Final selection of the bailiff was by Chief Justice Lawton Nuss and the other justices of the Kansas Supreme Court.
"Ruth came highly recommended by her chief judge and we are honored that she agreed to take an active role in the Supreme Court's visit to Hutchinson," Nuss said.
In addition to her work as a courts services officer, Lloyd taught criminal justice courses part time at Hutchinson Community College. She taught for 21 years, from 1987 to 2008.
"I enjoyed teaching, but you have less stamina for second jobs as you get older," she said. "I reached a point where I wanted my time to be my own."
The Supreme Court will be in session from 6:30 p.m. to about 8 p.m. in the B.J. Warner Recital Hall in the Stringer Fine Arts Center at 600 East 11th Avenue on the Hutchinson Community College campus. After the session concludes, the justices will greet the public in an informal reception in a room adjacent to the recital hall.
Community visits are part of the court's ongoing outreach to familiarize Kansans with the high court, its work, and the overall role of the Kansas judiciary.