Sep 01, 2021

State high court appoints 4, reappoints 8 to the eCourt Steering Comm.

Posted Sep 01, 2021 10:21 PM

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, chief court services officer, 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.