KANSAS STATUTES AND CODES

20-2913. Same; vacancies prior to formation of nominating commission; new judgeships, appointment and term; return to partisan method.

20-2913

Chapter 20.--COURTS Article 29.--NONPARTISAN SELECTION OF JUDGES OF THE DISTRICT COURT

20-2913. Same;vacancies prior to formation of nominating commission;new judgeships, appointment and term; return to partisan method.(a) If a vacancy occurs in the office of judge of thedistrict court in a judicial district, subsequent to the generalelection at which the nonpartisan method of selection of judges ofthe district court was approved and prior to the time the districtjudicial nominating commission for the judicial district isconstituted, the departmental justice for the judicial district shallprovide, where necessary, for the assignment of one or more judgespursuant to K.S.A. 20-319, to serve in the judicial districtuntil a judge shall be appointed to fill such vacancypursuant to K.S.A. 20-2909, 20-2910 and 20-2911, andamendments thereto.

(b) Whenever the supreme court, pursuant to statute, certifiesto the chairperson of the district judicial nominating commission in ajudicial district that an additional judge and an additional division ofthe district court are needed in such judicial district, thechairperson shall call a meeting of the nominating commission for thepurpose of nominating persons for appointment to the new judgeship. Nominationsand the appointment of the judge shall be made in themanner prescribed by K.S.A. 20-2909, 20-2910 and 20-2911, andamendments thereto. The term of office of any judge so appointed shall commenceon July 15 next following the date of certification ofthe need for an additional judge.

(c) Whenever the proposition of the method of selection of judges ofthe district court is resubmitted to the electors of a judicial districtfor the purpose of rejecting the same, as provided in subsection (e)[*]ofK.S.A. 20-2901 and amendments thereto, and a majority of the votes cast andcountedon such proposition is in favor of electionof judges of the district court, the district judicial nominatingcommission in such judicial district shall be abolished on the date theresults of the final canvass of votes is certified pursuant tosubsection (f)[**] of K.S.A. 20-2901 and amendments thereto. Therejection ofnonpartisan selection of judges of the district court in a judicialdistrict shall not affect the term of office of any person serving asjudge of the district court in the judicial district at the time of thegeneral election at whichnonpartisan selection is rejected. The rejection of nonpartisan selection shallnotaffect the term of office of any person retained in office as judge ofthe district court at the election. Ifthe electors of thejudicial district also vote at the election against retaining inoffice any judge of the district court, the office of that judge shallbecome vacant on the second Monday in January next following theelection, and the vacancy shall be filled in the manner provided byK.S.A. 25-312a.

History: L. 1974, ch. 137, § 13; L. 1975, ch. 183, § 3; L. 1976,ch. 145, § 105; L. 1982, ch. 130, § 18; Feb. 25.