TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas Senate Judiciary Committee’s chairman is promoting a series of measures aimed at making the courts more efficient in response to a budget-focused address by the state Supreme Court’s chief justice.
Independence Republican Jeff King sent Chief Justice Lawton Nuss a letter Thursday, a day after Nuss gave the annual State of the Judiciary address. Nuss warned that the courts need another $8.3 million for the fiscal year beginning in July to avoid employee furloughs.
King’s letter urged the Supreme Court to back an increase in some court filing fees, expanded use of video conferencing in routine criminal hearings, more options for courts in collecting unpaid fees and streamlined appeals of rulings from non-lawyer magistrates.
A spokeswoman said it wasn’t clear Nuss has seen the letter yet.
