Commission reviews statutory charge (KSA 20-133) and outlines vetting process

At the start of the session, Chair Terry Campbell read aloud the statutory intent in KSA 20-133, emphasizing the commission’s role to recommend three nominees of recognized integrity and judicial temperament for appointment to the Kansas Supreme Court. He noted the law encourages considering candidates who may not volunteer for service.

Derek Shima, clerk of the Kansas appellate courts, summarized the process: the commission will solicit applications, distribute them to commissioners for investigation, conduct interviews of qualified candidates, and submit three names to the governor. "The commission shall take cognizance of the fact that the best qualified nominees may be those whom it would be most difficult to persuade to serve," Campbell read as he described the commission’s charge. Shima also reminded the group of the retirement effective date and the statutory timing constraints that shape the calendar.