Supreme Court appoints members to Kansas Board of Examiners of Court Reporters

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court appointed Chief Judge Steven Johnson and reappointed three other members to the Kansas Board of Examiners of Court Reporters.

Johnson serves in the 20th Judicial District, composed of Barton, Ellsworth, Rice, Russell, and Stafford counties. He succeeds Chief Judge Preston Pratt, whose term ends June 30. Pratt serves in the 17th Judicial District, composed of Decatur, Graham, Norton, Osborne, Phillips, and Smith counties.

Reappointed were:

• Mary Castaneda, managing court reporter for the 18th Judicial District, which is Sedgwick County;

• Jennifer Olsen, an official court reporter in the 3rd Judicial District, which is Shawnee County; and

• Vesta York, a freelance court reporter from Wichita.

They will serve three-year terms beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2024.

The Kansas Board of Examiners of Court Reporters supervises granting certificates of eligibility for certified court reporters; oversees court reporter conduct; and reviews and acts on complaints made against certified court reporters. Court reporter certification examinations are given twice a year.

The board includes judges, practicing attorneys, and court reporters.

Other members of the board are:

• District Judge Rachel Pickering, who serves in the 3rd Judicial District and chairs the board;

• Sharon Cahill, an official court reporter in the 29th Judicial District, which is Wyandotte County;

• Jennifer Marie Hill, an attorney from Wichita;

• Shirla McQueen, an attorney from Liberal; and

• Melinda Young, an attorney from Hutchinson.