Supreme Court appoints four, reappoints eight to eCourt Steering Committee

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court appointed four new members and reappointed others to the eCourt Steering Committee, which is overseeing implementation of a statewide centralized case management system.

The new centralized case management system will allow all district and appellate case data to reside on a single web-based platform, transforming the way state courts serve the people of Kansas.

Joining the committee are:

• Stephanie Bunten, judicial administrator, Office of Judicial Administration

• Chief Judge Jeffery Gettler, 14th Judicial District, composed of Montgomery and Chautauqua counties

• Kelly Johnson, court administrator, 4th Judicial District, composed of Anderson, Coffey, Franklin, and Osage counties

• Amber Smith, deputy judicial administrator and general counsel, Office of Judicial Administration

Justice Dan Biles chairs the committee. He and other members were reappointed to one-year terms:

• Chief Judge Karen Arnold-Burger, Kansas Court of Appeals

• Christine Blake, clerk of the Finney County District Court in the 25th Judicial District

• Kelly O'Brien, chief information technology officer, Office of Judicial Administration

• Kathy Oliver, clerk of the Riley County District Court in the 21st Judicial District

• Chief Judge Thomas Kelly Ryan of the 10th Judicial District, composed of Johnson County

• Doug Shima, clerk of the appellate courts

• Justice Caleb Stegall, Kansas Supreme Court

• District Magistrate Judge Debra Wright, serving in Mitchell County of the 12th Judicial District

Installation of the centralized case management system is a key component in the Kansas Supreme Court's eCourt plan. It will complete the conversion from local, paper-driven processes to a statewide electronic one.The Supreme Court's vision for Kansas eCourt:

• More efficient, effective court operations and increased access to justice for the people of Kansas.

• Web-based access to court information.

• Standardized statewide case processing that enables workshare and provides a consistent user experience.