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TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court appointed six new members to the Access to Justice Committee.

Five of the new members will serve terms that began July 1 and end June 30, 2022.

They are:

  • Christie Koehn, chief court services officer of the 6th Judicial District, which includes Miami, Linn, and Bourbon counties;

  • District Magistrate Judge Kenton Gleason, who serves in Hodgeman County of the 24th Judicial District;

  • Kristi Hill, clerk of the district court of Wyandotte County, which makes up the 29th Judicial District;

  • Sarah Warner, newly appointed judge to the Kansas Court of Appeals; and

  • Penny Wells, clerk of the Comanche County District Court in the 16th Judicial District.

The court also appointed Sarah Rust-Martin, legal and policy director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, Topeka, to fill an unexpired term. She will serve through June 30, 2020, and will then be eligible to serve a full three-year term.

The Access to Justice Committee makes recommendations to the Supreme Court about issues such as increasing the resources available for legal services for low-income litigants in civil cases; improving planning and coordination of legal services delivery; and reducing potential barriers to equal access to justice.

Leaving the committee are:

  • Melanie Branham, Branham Law Firm, Overland Park;

  • District Magistrate Judge James Kepple, who serves in Riley County of the 21st Judicial District;

  • District Judge Bill Klapper of the 29th Judicial District;

  • Cindy MacDonald, clerk of the Dickinson County District Court in the 8th Judicial District;

  • Eric Rosenblad, Kansas Legal Services, Pittsburg; and

  • Chief Judge Nick St. Peter of the 19th Judicial District, which is composed of Cowley County.

Other members of the committee are:

  • Christy Campbell, Kansas Legal Services, Wichita;

  • Chief Judge Joe Dickinson of the 9th Judicial District, which is composed of Harvey and McPherson counties;

  • Senior Judge James Fleetwood, Wichita;

  • Jennifer Foster, district court administrator of the 9th Judicial District, which is composed of Harvey and McPherson counties;

  • Marcia Hannon, Kansas Supreme Court Law Library, Topeka;

  • District Magistrate Judge Starla Borg Nelson, who serves in Republic County of the 12th Judicial District;

  • District Judge Carl William Ossmann, who serves in Shawnee County, which makes up the 3rd Judicial District;

  • Patricia Scalia, Board of Indigents’ Defense Services, Topeka;

  • District Judge Erica Schoenig, who serves in Johnson County, which makes up the 10th Judicial District;

  • Amanda Truan, district court administrator of the 23rd Judicial District, which is composed of Ellis, Gove, Rooks, and Trego counties; and

  • Ruth Wheeler, district court administrator of the 5th Judicial District, which is composed of Chase and Lyon counties.

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