Kansas Court of Appeals

	Kansas Court of Appeals
	Court information
Judges:	14
Salary:	Associates: $204,105
	Judicial selection
Method:	Assisted appointment
Term:	4 years
	Published opinions

The Kansas Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court in Kansas. The judges of the court ordinarily do not conduct trials. They decide appealed cases by reading the record of the trial, reviewing briefs filed by the parties, and hearing oral arguments from lawyers. They research and review the law involved in the case and then write an opinion that is usually published in bound volumes.^[2]

The court has jurisdiction over civil and criminal appeals from the Kansas district courts, with the exception of appeals made directly to the Kansas Supreme Court, and has original jurisdiction in habeas corpus actions.^[3]

Cases on appeal are heard by a three-judge panel at courts located throughout the state. The chief judge of the court assigns both the judges to each panel and the cases that are to be heard by each panel. The main location of the Kansas Court of Appeals is the Kansas Judicial Center in Topeka, Kansas. Decisions of the Kansas Court of Appeals are filed weekly, usually on Friday mornings.^[2]

Judges

Judges of the Kansas Court of Appeals, 2018

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
David E. Bruns	June 3, 2011 - Present	Sam Brownback
Lori Ann Bolton Fleming	April 7, 2025 - Present	Laura Kelly
G. Gordon Atcheson	July 14, 2010 - Present	Mark Parkinson
Karen Arnold-Burger	March 4, 2011 - Present	Mark Parkinson
Rachel Pickering	April 27, 2023 - Present	Laura Kelly
Stephen Hill	December 5, 2003 - Present	Kathleen Sebelius
Lesley Ann Isherwood	April 30, 2021 - Present	Laura Kelly
Amy Cline	February 26, 2021 - Present	Laura Kelly
Sarah Warner	May 29, 2019 - Present	Laura Kelly
Kim R. Schroeder	2013 - Present	Sam Brownback
Thomas E. Malone	May 2, 2003 - Present	Kathleen Sebelius
Angela Coble	May 17, 2022 - Present	Laura Kelly
Jacy Hurst	March 23, 2021 - Present	Laura Kelly
Kathryn Gardner	January 29, 2015 - Present	Sam Brownback

Senior judges

Richard B. Walker

Salary

See also: Kansas court salaries and budgets

In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $204,105, according to the National Center for State Courts.^[4]

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Kansas

The fourteen judges on the Kansas Court of Appeals are appointed by the governor with every nomination subject to confirmation by the Kansas State Senate. Newly appointed judges serve for at least one year, after which they must stand for retention in the next even-year general election. If retained, the judge serves a four-year term and must stand for retention every four years after that point to remain in office.^[5]

Qualifications

To serve on this court, a judge must:^[6]

have at least 10 years of active and continuous law practice in the state;^[7]
be at least 30 years old; and
be no older than 75. If a sitting judge turns 75 while on the bench, he or she may serve out the term.

Chief judge

The chief judge for the court of appeals is selected by the supreme court.^[8]

Vacancies

If a midterm vacancy occurs on the court, the position is filled as it normally would be had the vacancy occurred at the end of a judge's term. The governor appoints a new judge, who must be confirmed by the Kansas State Senate. He or she then serves at least one year following his or her initial appointment and must stand for retention at the next statewide general election to remain in office.^[5]

Elections

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 1

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 2

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 3

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 5

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 7

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 11

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 13

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 1

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 2

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 3

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 5

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 7

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 11

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 13

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 4

Sarah Warner was retained to Position 4 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 76.0% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	76.0	796,547
	No	24.0	251,916
	Total Votes		1,048,463

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 6

David E. Bruns was retained to Position 6 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 73.1% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	73.1	757,871
	No	26.9	278,790
	Total Votes		1,036,661

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 8

G. Gordon Atcheson was retained to Position 8 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 67.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	67.5	694,843
	No	32.5	334,046
	Total Votes		1,028,889

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 9

Karen Arnold-Burger was retained to Position 9 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 68.8% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.8	710,812
	No	31.2	321,739
	Total Votes		1,032,551

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 10

Rachel Pickering was retained to Position 10 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 68.9% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.9	707,394
	No	31.1	320,030
	Total Votes		1,027,424

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 12

Angela Coble was retained to Position 12 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 70.2% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	70.2	720,974
	No	29.8	305,974
	Total Votes		1,026,948

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 14

Kathryn Gardner was retained to Position 14 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024 with 73.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	73.7	757,867
	No	26.3	270,006
	Total Votes		1,027,873

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 1

Stephen Hill was retained to Position 1 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 69.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.5	588,865
	No	30.5	258,303
	Total Votes		847,168

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 2

Lesley Ann Isherwood was retained to Position 2 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 69.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.3	585,458
	No	30.7	259,376
	Total Votes		844,834

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 3

Amy Cline was retained to Position 3 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 68.8% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.8	580,472
	No	31.2	262,901
	Total Votes		843,373

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 5

Kim R. Schroeder was retained to Position 5 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 72.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	72.3	609,039
	No	27.7	233,862
	Total Votes		842,901

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 7

Henry Green was retained to Position 7 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 69.4% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.4	581,926
	No	30.6	256,797
	Total Votes		838,723

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 10

General election

The general election scheduled for November 8, 2022, was canceled.

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 11

Thomas E. Malone was retained to Position 11 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 69.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.3	581,830
	No	30.7	258,187
	Total Votes		840,017

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 13

Jacy Hurst was retained to Position 13 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022 with 68.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.5	573,829
	No	31.5	264,160
	Total Votes		837,989

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 4

Sarah Warner was retained to Position 4 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020 with 77.6% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	77.6	907,352
	No	22.4	261,435
	Total Votes		1,168,787

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 6

David E. Bruns was retained to Position 6 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020 with 73.0% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	73.0	844,653
	No	27.0	311,843
	Total Votes		1,156,496

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 8

G. Gordon Atcheson was retained to Position 8 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020 with 68.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	68.7	792,315
	No	31.3	361,232
	Total Votes		1,153,547

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 9

Karen Arnold-Burger was retained to Position 9 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020 with 69.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.7	805,056
	No	30.3	349,548
	Total Votes		1,154,604

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 14

Kathryn Gardner was retained to Position 14 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020 with 73.8% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	73.8	851,794
	No	26.2	302,260
	Total Votes		1,154,054

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 1

Stephen Hill was retained to Position 1 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 74.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	74.7	681,026
	No	25.3	230,633
	Total Votes		911,659

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 5

Kim R. Schroeder was retained to Position 5 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 75.5% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	75.5	684,477
	No	24.5	222,665
	Total Votes		907,142

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 7

Henry Green was retained to Position 7 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 74.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	74.3	666,933
	No	25.7	231,022
	Total Votes		897,955

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 10

Tony Powell was retained to Position 10 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 73.3% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	73.3	659,701
	No	26.7	240,517
	Total Votes		900,218

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 11

Thomas E. Malone was retained to Position 11 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 74.2% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	74.2	666,342
	No	25.8	232,151
	Total Votes		898,493

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 12

Michael Buser was retained to Position 12 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 66.7% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	66.7	597,509
	No	33.3	298,030
	Total Votes		895,539

The results have been certified. Source

Kansas Court of Appeals Position 13

Melissa Standridge was retained to Position 13 of the Kansas Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018 with 69.2% of the vote.

	Retention Vote	%	Votes
✔	Yes	69.2	620,903
	No	30.8	276,479
	Total Votes		897,382

The results have been certified. Source

Previous election results

2016

Judges who faced retention

■ Steve Leben
■ Joseph Pierron
■ David E. Bruns
■ G. Gordon Atcheson
■ Karen Arnold-Burger
■ Kathryn Gardner

Election results

November 8 general election

Steve Leben was retained in the Kansas Court of Appeals, Leben's Seat election with 59.81% of the vote.

Kansas Court of Appeals, Leben's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
Steve Leben	59.81%
Source: Kansas Secretary of State Official Results

Joseph Pierron was retained in the Kansas Court of Appeals, Pierron's Seat election with 59.47% of the vote.

Kansas Court of Appeals, Pierron's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
Joseph Pierron	59.47%
Source: Kansas Secretary of State Official Results

David E. Bruns was retained in the Kansas Court of Appeals, Bruns' Seat election with 71.90% of the vote.

Kansas Court of Appeals, Bruns' Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
David E. Bruns	71.90%
Source: Kansas Secretary of State Official Results

G. Gordon Atcheson was retained in the Kansas Court of Appeals, Atcheson's Seat election with 59.38% of the vote.

Kansas Court of Appeals, Atcheson's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
G. Gordon Atcheson	59.38%
Source: Kansas Secretary of State Official Results

Karen Arnold-Burger was retained in the Kansas Court of Appeals, Arnold-Burger's Seat election with 60.18% of the vote.

Kansas Court of Appeals, Arnold-Burger's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
Karen Arnold-Burger	60.18%
Source: Kansas Secretary of State Official Results

Kathryn Gardner was retained in the Kansas Court of Appeals, Gardner's Seat election with 72.87% of the vote.

Kansas Court of Appeals, Gardner's Seat, 2016
Name	Yes votes
Kathryn Gardner	72.87%
Source: Kansas Secretary of State Official Results

2014

Retention

Judge	Election Vote
HillStephen Hill	59.5% A
SchroederKim R. Schroeder	61.6% A
PowellTony Powell	66.1% A
StandridgeMelissa Standridge	60.6% A
GreenHenry Green (Kansas)	66.3% A
McAnanyPatrick McAnany	59.3% A
BuserMichael Buser	58.9% A
MaloneThomas E. Malone	67% A

See also: Kansas judicial elections, 2014

2012

Judge	Incumbency	Retention vote	Retention Vote %
BrunsDavid E. Bruns A	Yes	658,691	75%A
AtchesonG. Gordon Atcheson A	Yes	617,265	71%A
PierronJoseph Pierron A	Yes	654,838	74%A
Arnold-BurgerKaren Arnold-Burger A	Yes	625,724	71%A
LebenSteve Leben A	Yes	639,388	72%A

See also: Kansas judicial elections, 2012

Ethics

The Kansas Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Kansas. It consists of four overarching canons:

“

Canon 1: A judge shall uphold and promote the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.
Canon 2: A judge shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially, competently, and diligently.
Canon 3: A judge shall conduct the judge's personal and extrajudicial activities to minimize the risk of conflict with the obligations of judicial office.
Canon 4: A judge or candidate for judicial office shall not engage in political or campaign activity that is inconsistent with independence, integrity, or impartiality of the judiciary.^[9]^[10]

”

The full text of the Kansas Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in Kansas may be removed in one of two ways:

The Kansas Commission on Judicial Conduct hears allegations of misconduct, investigates, and may hold formal hearings on the allegations. The commission, if it finds that the judge committed the misconduct by clear and convincing evidence, may then admonish or issue a cease-and-desist order on the judge. The commission may also submit a recommendation to the Kansas Supreme Court that a judge be removed from the bench, publicly censured, compulsorily retired, or suspended.
A judge may also be removed by impeachment and then conviction, pursuant to Article 2 of the Kansas State Constitution.^[11]

State profile

Demographic data for Kansas
	Kansas	U.S.
Total population:	2,906,721	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	81,759	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	85.2%	73.6%
Black/African American:	5.8%	12.6%
Asian:	2.6%	5.1%
Native American:	0.8%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0.1%	0.2%
Two or more:	3.3%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	11.2%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	90.2%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	31%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$52,205	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	15%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Kansas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Kansas

Kansas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

More Kansas coverage on Ballotpedia

External links

Footnotes

↑ The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Kansas Judicial Branch, "Court of Appeals," accessed May 31, 2015
↑ Kansas Judicial Branch, "Kansas Court of Appeals Purpose, Authority, and History," accessed May 30, 2015
↑ National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025
↑ ^5.0 ^5.1 Our Kansas Courts, "Judicial Selection," accessed Sept. 24, 2021
↑ Supreme Court Nominating Commission, "Filling a Supreme Court vacancy," Aug. 6, 2020
↑ This may include work as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.
↑ Kansas Judicial Branch, "Court of Appeals," accessed March 31, 2023
↑ Kansas Judicial Branch, "Kansas Code of Judicial Conduct - Rule 601," accessed August 19, 2025
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ National Center For State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Removal of Judges," accessed May 23, 2015

Kansas courts

Federal courts:

Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: District of Kansas • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: District of Kansas

State courts:

Kansas Supreme Court • Kansas Court of Appeals • Kansas District Courts • Kansas Municipal Courts

State resources:

Courts in Kansas • Kansas judicial elections • Judicial selection in Kansas

[1] The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.

[page-2] 2.0 ^2.1 Kansas Judicial Branch, "Court of Appeals," accessed May 31, 2015

[3] Kansas Judicial Branch, "Kansas Court of Appeals Purpose, Authority, and History," accessed May 30, 2015

[4] National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025

[ksbarinfo-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Our Kansas Courts, "Judicial Selection," accessed Sept. 24, 2021

[kscourtinfo-6] Supreme Court Nominating Commission, "Filling a Supreme Court vacancy," Aug. 6, 2020

[7] This may include work as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.

[8] Kansas Judicial Branch, "Court of Appeals," accessed March 31, 2023

[9] Kansas Judicial Branch, "Kansas Code of Judicial Conduct - Rule 601," accessed August 19, 2025

[quotedisclaimer-10] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[11] National Center For State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Removal of Judges," accessed May 23, 2015

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Kansas Court of Appeals

Court information
Judges:	14
Salary:	Associates: $204,105^[1]
Judicial selection
Method:	Assisted appointment
Term:	4 years
Published opinions