Age: 48
When did you pass the Kansas bar?
I passed the Oklahoma Bar in 1997. I was admitted to the Kansas Bar in 2007 based on my qualifications and number of years of experience.
Current job title and relevant prior job titles:
I am currently the District Judge for the 23rd Judicial District; a position I have held since August 2016. Before serving as District Judge, I was a Partner for the Law Firm of Kennedy, Berkley, Yarnevich & Williamspm Chtd., Hays Branch; A Partner at Oller, Johnson, & Bittel, P.C., Hays; and an Attorney for Abowitz, Timberlake and Dahnke, P.C., Oklahoma City.
Community Involvement:
My most recent participation of which I am proud to be a part of is “Our Town Our Kids." This was a pilot project through the Kansas Department of Corrections and other organizations that includes Kansas State University and Fort Hays State University. The project aims to provide communities with the tools to help reduce the number of at-risk youth and their chances of ending up in the juvenile justice system. It was a great project to get people thinking; especially with the issue of having to send troubled youth far away from our community because of the lack of services. More importantly, it is a community plan to provide help to parents and families to prevent the risk of our kids ending up in the juvenile justice system. We were a pilot for other communities across the nation.
What experience and skills would you bring to the position? Along with my BS received in 1994 and Juris Doctorate received in 1997, I was the 1995-97 staff editor for the Oklahoma City University Law Review and recipient of the CALI Award for Pretrial Litigation. For the first 14 years after law school, I represented business and individual clients in complex litigation in state and federal courts. Returning to Kansas in 2007, I continued with civil litigation and expanded into family and criminal law.
In 2016, I received a great opportunity to apply my substantial experience as your District Judge. Since then, I have handled a multitude of cases and trials including: complex medical and personal injury actions; issues regarding farm, land and property rights; contract disputes; domestic custody and child support; disputed probate and trust issues; insurance disputes; general issues regarding citizen complaints and high-level criminal cases.
I also have extensive training with the National Judicial College and the National Forensics Institute.
What are the specific aspects of this judicial position that moved you to run?
I have enjoyed the challenge of being the District Judge since August 2016. I have received great feedback from litigants, attorneys, jurors and staff regarding my service in the position and want to continue. When I filed for my first term, before being appointed to the position by the governor, I had been approached by several people about running for judge. After 21 years in private practice, I was ready for a new challenge, and felt comfortable that I was very qualified to handle the position because of my broad experience as an attorney.
Describe the ideal judge.
The ideal judge is well versed in the law, has the right experience and background, and makes informed, fair and lawful decisions. I worked hard to gain that necessary experience before filing for the position over four years ago and have used that experience to successfully perform the duties of your judge in an unbiased, intelligent and lawful manner.
The ideal judge provides an environment in the courtroom that feels accessible to litigants. They should feel comfortable knowing they have a voice and will receive due process without bias. This is a policy I have maintained as your judge in the past and will continue.
Describe the most challenging ethical dilemma you have encountered. How did you handle it?
The most challenging dilemma involves dealing with pro se litigants. The number of litigants that cannot afford legal representation is increasing! As a judge, I am not allowed to give legal advice. While I cannot give advice, I have made sure my staff directs them to resources available that guide them through the court system.
What do you perceive as the greatest obstacles to justice, if any?
Currently the greatest obstacle to justice was created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supreme Court has issued orders that initially closed the court houses and currently allowed them to operate under restrictions of social distancing. Currently we are not allowed to schedule jury trials. This especially affects criminal defendants who are incarcerated waiting for a trial, but it also affects civil litigants seeking monetary relief for alleged injury or loss. We are working on a plan to start scheduling these trials in accordance with our court mandated policies. Most hearings are now functioning well via Zoom and can be viewed livestream on YouTube. This is working and has allowed cases to proceed.
What do you believe are the causes of the high rates of minority incarceration?
Locally, this problem does not present itself on a regular basis because of the low rate of minorities in the 23rd Judicial District communities. However, national data does suggest a high rate of minority incarceration. While the reasoning is vast, a central point usually raised is disparity at the point of arrest; which then of course leads to incarceration. As a sitting judge, I am not allowed to share an opinion which would support or not support organizations that have opinions regarding disparity. As we all know at this time there is a substantial amount of information, good and/or bad, on a national level. I would just encourage all to be informed before drawing any conclusions.
What do you think about the growing prison population? What response should society have to prison overcrowding?
Clearly the growing prison population is result of persons in prison because they initially received a prison sentence or violated the terms of probation. If we can prevent the crime, we can prevent the prison consequence. There are two significant problems that often are linked to crime and incarceration: (1) drug use and (2) mental illness. There are already some measures in place that are addressing drug use. These include Drug Court and Oxford houses that are working in addition to traditional groups such as NA, AA and church groups. Regarding mental illness, there is a need to offer more beds for treatment closer to our community and more support for those who are currently working in this field.
As a prospective judge, what do you consider your greatest strengths/ weaknesses?
My greatest strength as the current District Judge is the good relationships I have with attorneys, law enforcement, and staff in the court system.
Being accessible and having good communication with all those who are an essential part of the court system not only makes things operate more efficiently but creates an environment where everyone works together in a positive manner. This environment then positively impacts all litigants who need to utilize the court system. My current weakness is my ability to do my job efficiently given the restrictions put in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are required to follow the orders from the Supreme Court regarding our ability to conduct jury trials and other restrictions regarding in-person hearings. As I stated above, our district has worked hard, and will continue to find alternatives. Our work is paying off and hopefully soon we will be back to normal, or the new normal, whatever that may be.
Have you ever been disciplined by the bar association or the state commission on judicial conduct? No
Have you ever been arrested? No
Have you ever been a principal, named litigant in a civil matter? No
Have you ever been the victim of a crime? No