Supreme Court reappoints four members to Kansas Commission on Judicial Conduct

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court reappointed four members to the Kansas Commission on Judicial Conduct.

Reappointed were:

• Sister Rosemary Kolich, Leavenworth, a member of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth and nonlawyer member of the commission;

• Chief Judge Nicholas St. Peter, Winfield, who serves in the 19th Judicial District, which is Cowley County;

• Diane Sorensen, Wichita, a lawyer at Morris Laing Evans Brock & Kennedy, Wichita; and

• District Magistrate Judge Mary Thrower, Minneapolis, who serves in Ottawa County of the 28th Judicial District.

Their terms end June 30, 2024.

The 14-member commission is charged with helping the Supreme Court exercise its responsibility in judicial disciplinary matters. It reviews complaints to determine whether a judge has violated the code of judicial conduct the Supreme Court adopted to define the standard of ethical behavior of all judges.

The commission includes six active or retired judges, four lawyers, and four nonlawyers. All members are appointed by the Supreme Court for four-year terms.

Commission members are grouped into two panels, and one panel meets each month. The commission chair is the chair of one panel and the commission vice chair chairs the second panel.

District Judge Brenda Cameron, Olathe, who chairs the Commission on Judicial Conduct, chairs Panel A. She serves in the 10th Judicial District, which is Johnson County.

Thrower serves on Panel A. Other Panel A members are:

• Diane Azorsky, Leawood, nonlawyer and retired executive of not-for-profit organizations;

• Terrence Campbell, Lawrence, lawyer at Barber Emerson;

• James Cooper, Lawrence, nonlawyer and retired U.S. Navy officer, and vice chair of the panel;

• Robert Fairchild, Lawrence, retired district judge from the 7th Judicial District, which is Douglas County; and

• Norman Kelly, Salina, lawyer and partner at Norton Wasserman Jones & Kelly.

Sorensen is vice chair of the Commission on Judicial Conduct and chairs Panel B.

Kolich and St. Peter serve on Panel B. Other Panel B members are:

• Chief Judge Bradley Ambrosier, Elkhart, who serves in the 26th Judicial District, which is composed of Grant, Haskell, Morton, Seward, Stanton, and Stevens counties;

• Allen Glendenning, Great Bend, lawyer at Watkins Calcara;

• Larry Hendricks, Topeka, retired district judge from the 3rd Judicial District, which is Shawnee County, and vice chair of the panel; and

• Susan Lynn, Iola, nonlawyer and editor and publisher of the Iola Register.