Chapter 20, COURTS

20-371. Electronic access to district court records; county may charge reasonable fees; no additional fees authorized. Notwithstanding any statute, law, rule, regulation or supreme court rule to the contrary, any county may provide electronic access to district court records that…

20-375. Purpose of act. The purpose of this act* is to improve the enforcement of duties of support and restitution. History: L. 1972, ch. 123, § 1; L. 1997, ch. 182, § 96; July 3. Source or Prior Law: 23-492. Revisor's Note: * See comparative table of sections in Constitutions v…

20-376. Definitions. (1) "Court" means the district court of this state. (2) "Duty of support" includes any duty of support imposed by any court order, decree or judgment, whether interlocutory or final, whether incidental to a proceeding for divorce, separate maintenance or othe…

20-377. Court trustee; appointment. The court may provide by rule adopted by the judge or judges of each of the judicial districts of Kansas for the establishment of the office of court trustee for the judicial district. The court trustee shall be a person licensed to practice la…

20-378. Same; duties. The court trustee shall have the responsibility: (a) For collection of support or restitution from the obligor upon the written request of the obligee or upon the order of the court; and (b) to compile a list of individuals who owe arrearages under a support…

20-379. Same; powers. (a) The court trustee shall be authorized and empowered to pursue all civil remedies which would be available to the obligee or obligor in establishing and enforcing payment of support or restitution. (b) The court trustee may also file motions for an increa…

20-380. Same; expenses; compensation; court trustee operations fund, purposes and expenditures. (a) Except as provided further, to defray the expenses of operation of the court trustee's office, the court trustee is authorized to charge an amount: (1) Whether fixed or sliding sca…

20-381. Payment of authorized expenditures. (a) All expenditures provided for in this act shall be paid as follows: (1) In each judicial district consisting of a single county such expenditure shall be paid by the board of county commissioners or chief judge from the court truste…

20-382. Authorized expenditures, when paid. The expenditure for salaries, compensation and necessary expenses of the office of court trustee provided for in this act may be paid during any budget year, even though the same was not included in the budget expenditures for such budg…

20-383. Court rules to implement act; review of requests for exemption. (a) The district court shall provide by court rule for such other matters as are necessary to carry out the purpose of this act, including, but not limited to, the appointment of deputy trustees and other sta…

20-384. Judicial district budgets; responsibilities of chief judge. (a) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, and for each fiscal year thereafter, the chief judge in each judicial district may elect to be responsible for the budget of such judicial district pursuant to the pr…

20-438. Specialized divisions of district court; establishment; assignment of personnel. Whenever the judges of the district court deem it necessary for the efficient and effective administration of justice, and with approval of the supreme court, such judges may establish specia…

20-626. Additional courtrooms in counties of over 300,000 population; no-fund warrants; tax levies. The board of county commissioners of any county in this state having a population of more than 300,000 is hereby authorized to issue no-fund warrants for the purpose of paying all …

20-910a. Transcript as evidence. That the transcript of notes of any duly appointed official reporter of the district court of any proceedings taken by such reporter in any court in the state of Kansas, which shall thereafter be transcribed by such reporter, and certified by him …

20-911. False certificate or omission of portion of notes; penalty. That if any court stenographer shall purposely and falsely certify to or shall falsely verify his notes, or omit from his notes any portion of the proceedings relating to the matter called for by the party desiri…

20-912. Rules for granting certificates for appointment as official reporters. It shall be the duty of the supreme court of Kansas, under such rules as the court shall deem necessary, and in substantially the same manner as attorneys at law are licensed to practice law, to grant …

20-913. Title of reporter; administration of oaths; seal. One holding such a certificate shall have the right to use the title "certified shorthand reporter," and is hereby authorized and empowered to administer oaths, and to have an official seal which shall be used to authentic…

20-914. Same; certificate required before appointment. No person who does not hold such a certificate shall be appointed official reporter of a district court. History: L. 1941, ch. 209, § 3; June 30. CASE ANNOTATIONS 1. Cited; court reporter held guest of judge under K.S.A. 8-12…

20-917. Official court reporter; assignment; transcripts; power to administer oaths; reporters' expenses. (a) The supreme court shall provide by rule for the assignment of an official court reporter appointed in any judicial district to duty in another judicial district. (b) The …

20-1201. Two classes of contempts. That contempts of court are divided into two classes, direct and indirect, and shall be proceeded against only as hereinafter prescribed. History: L. 1897, ch. 106, § 1; May 8; R.S. 1923, 20-1201. Law Review and Bar Journal References: Survey of…

20-1202. Classes of contempts defined. That contempts committed during the sitting of the court or of a judge at chambers, in its or his presence, are direct contempts. All others are indirect contempts. History: L. 1897, ch. 106, § 2; May 8; R.S. 1923, 20-1202. Law Review and Ba…

20-1203. Direct contempts. That a direct contempt may be punished summarily, without written accusation against the person arraigned, but if the court or judge in chambers shall adjudge him guilty thereof a judgment shall be entered of record, in which shall be specified the cond…

20-1204a. Indirect contempt; procedure. (a) When an order in a civil action has been entered, the court that rendered the same may order a person alleged to be guilty of indirect contempt of such order to appear and show cause why such person should not be held in contempt if the…

20-1205. Contempt of court; appeal; stay of judgment. The testimony taken on the trial of any accusation of contempt shall be preserved. An appeal may be taken from any judgment of conviction therefor in the same manner as is provided by law in civil cases. Upon the filing and se…

20-1206. Application to proceedings; prosecutor. The provisions of this act shall apply to all proceedings for contempt in all courts of Kansas and before all judges of the district court in chambers; but this act shall not affect any proceedings for contempt pending at the time …

20-2201. Judicial council; members; appointment; term. A judicial council is hereby established and created which shall be an independent agency in the judicial branch of government, shall submit its budget separately and may adopt its own pay plan and personnel rules. The judici…

20-2202. Chairperson; meetings. The judicial council shall select one of the council's members as chairperson for such period as the council may choose. The judicial council shall meet semiannually and more frequently, if necessary, upon call of the chairperson. History: L. 1927,…

20-2203. Mission of the judicial council. It shall be the mission of the judicial council to study the administration of justice in Kansas and make recommendations for improvements therefor. The judicial council shall receive and consider suggestions from judges, lawyers, public …

20-2204. Reports; publication. The council shall report on the work of the council and the council's recommendations for improvement in the administration of justice by providing such information on the council's website and in any other manner the council deems appropriate. Hist…

20-2206. Compensation and allowances of members; advisory committee members; payment. All members of the council except judicial members shall receive compensation and travel expenses and subsistence expenses or allowances as provided in K.S.A. 75-3212, and amendments thereto. Re…

20-2207. Publications fee fund; administration of fund; expenditures. (a) The judicial council may fix, charge and collect fees for sale and distribution of legal publications in order to recover direct and indirect costs incurred for preparation, publication and distribution of …

20-2208. Abolishment of the judicial council fund. On July 1, 2023, the director of accounts and reports shall transfer all moneys in the judicial council fund to the state general fund. On July 1, 2023, all liabilities of the judicial council fund are hereby transferred to and i…

20-2301. Boards of paroles in certain judicial districts; composition. In any judicial district in this state composed of a single county and now having, or which may hereafter have three or more divisions of the district court, the district judges of such judicial district may c…

20-2302. Same; powers and duties. Said board shall have power to make all needed rules and regulations concerning terms and conditions of parole and applications for parole as herein provided, but no formal or technical form of application therefor shall be required. Said board s…

20-2303. Same; same parole powers as trial courts. Said board of paroles shall succeed to and have and exercise the same powers of parole and be subject to the same regulations as trial courts are endowed with and provided by the laws of the state of Kansas. History: L. 1947, ch.…

20-2304. Same; records. It shall be the duty of said board to keep a record of persons paroled, and as far as possible of their whereabouts, occupation and conduct, and a record of the final discharge of such persons upon parole, or the revocation of any parole and the reason the…

20-2306. Same; act supplemental. This act shall be supplemental to all other acts relating to paroles. History: L. 1947, ch. 236, § 6; April 11.

20-2313. Same; act supplemental. This act shall be supplemental to other acts relating to paroles in said courts. History: L. 1949, ch. 240, § 7; April 8.

20-2601. Definitions. As used in K.S.A. 20-2601 et seq., and amendments thereto, unless the context otherwise requires: (a) "Fund" means the Kansas public employees retirement fund created by K.S.A. 74-4921, and amendments thereto; (b) "retirement system for judges" means the sys…

20-2601a. Abolition of Kansas judges retirement board; transfer of powers, duties and functions to board of trustees of Kansas public employees retirement system; preservation of decisions, determinations and rules and regulations; adoption of new rules and regulations. (a) On an…

20-2601b. Abolition of Kansas retirement fund for judges; transfer of assets to Kansas public employees retirement fund; credit of contributions; authorizing transfer endorsements. (a) On July 1, 1975, the Kansas retirement fund for judges created by K.S.A. 20-2602 is hereby abol…

20-2601c. Preservation of entitlement to receive retirement annuity or other benefit or return of contributions from Kansas retirement fund for judges. (a) On and after July 1, 1975, any person receiving or entitled to receive a retirement annuity or any other benefit from the Ka…

20-2603. Judges' member contributions; payroll deductions; disposition; interest; employer pickup of member contributions. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, each judge shall contribute 6% of the judge's salary for each payroll period to the fund. Commencing with t…

20-2605. Employment of actuary, duties; employer contribution rate; request for appropriation; actuarial cost of new enactments. (a) The board shall select and employ or retain a qualified actuary who shall serve at its pleasure as its technical advisor on matters regarding opera…

20-2606. Refund of accumulated contributions, when; reinstatement to original membership status, return of withdrawn contributions; purchase of previously forfeited service credit. (a) Any judge whose service is terminated prior to retirement, for any cause other than death, upon…

20-2607. Death prior to or subsequent to retirement; refund to beneficiary, when. Except as provided in K.S.A. 20-2610a, and amendments thereto, in the event of a judge's death prior to retirement, the judge's accumulated contributions shall be paid to the judge's beneficiary. Wh…

20-2608. Retirement ages; exceptions; early retirement benefit reduction. (a) Any judge may retire upon reaching age 65 or age 62 with the completion of 10 years of credited service or the first day of the month coinciding with or following the date that the total of the number o…

20-2609. Retirement annuity for permanently disabled; application; examination; finding by supreme court; eligibility for retirement under K.S.A. 20-2608; final average salary adjustment. (a) Any judge who has become permanently physically or mentally disabled and who is not enti…

20-2610. Retirement annuity; computation; maximum; final average salary. (a) (1) A judge who retires under K.S.A. 20-2608, and amendments thereto, shall be entitled to receive an annual annuity payable in monthly amounts subject to subsection (b), each such annual annuity of whic…

20-2610a. Retirement annuity options; elections of judge and spouse; joint annuitants. (a) A judge may elect to have such judge's retirement annuity paid under one of the options provided in this section in lieu of having it paid in the form stated in K.S.A. 20-2610, and amendmen…