Judge Not Lest Ye Get an Online Report Card

Kansas voters may now review evaluations of appointed judges of the district court, Court of Appeals judges and Supreme Court justices who are standing for election to be retained in office.

The Kansas Legislature established The Kansas Commission on Judicial Performance to improve the state's judiciary, enable voters to make informed decisions about continuing appointed judges and justices in office and protect judicial independence while promoting judicial accountability.

Recommendations regarding judicial retention are prepared by the 13-member Commission as part of the Kansas Judicial Report Card based on many sources, including surveys of attorneys and non-attorneys who have appeared before or had other professional experience with the justices and judges up for retention. The Commission was formed in 2006 and initiated evaluations in 2007 to assess individual judges' ability, integrity, impartiality, communication skills, professionalism, temperament and administrative performance. Eventually, all judges and justices in Kansas will be evaluated.