District Court

Home
Courts / District Court

Share
Give Feedback

Location:	Court Administrator:	Hours:	Contact:
Courthouse, 710 N 7th St Kansas City, KS 66101	Anita Peterson	Monday - Friday 8:00AM - 5:00PM	P: (913) 573-2940 F: E: Email

We are Currently in Phase 3 of the "Ad Astra Reopening Plan", Details concerning the 29th District Court's operations are linked here in the clickable banner above.

Previous Administrative Orders and press releases are kept here for reference and dated.

Please see below for the newest Administrative Orders and updates concerning the COVID-19 Pandemic. Updates will be posted in links below and dated for reference.

Administrative Order 2020-MV-78 - 5-28-2020
Phases for resuming District Court Operations

Chief justice issues five administrative orders affecting court operations during pandemic

TOPEKA—Chief Justice Marla Luckert has issued five administrative orders to give updated direction to Kansas courts and court users as courts continue to gradually conduct more in-person proceedings and increase the number and types of service delivered to the people of Kansas.

“We want people coming into our courthouses and courtrooms to know we are taking appropriate measures to protect their health,” Luckert said.

One order provides clarity about public health directives courts must follow, and others renew the suspension of certain deadlines and time limitations while courts work toward resuming full operations.

“By temporarily suspending some deadlines and time limitations, we uphold the legal and constitutional rights afforded all of us while our courts manage case processing consistent with public health guidelines,” Luckert said.

New administrative orders

Administrative Order 2020-PR-054 applies to Kansas district and appellate courts. It requires courts to comply with orders of the chief justice and the governor; COVID-19 safety directives from the Office of Judicial Administration; and public health guidance from state and local health officials and OSHA.

The order requires courts that remain closed to the public to meet certain conditions before allowing walk-in visitors, including seeking guidance from the local public health official about how to return to in-person hearings based on local risk and the courthouse facility. The chief judge must assure compliance with health recommendations, have a plan for screening people entering a courtroom or court office, and provide court contact information should someone be denied entry due to health concerns.

The order directs that all hearings should be conducted remotely, if possible. It prohibits most in-person proceedings that require more than 10 people in a courtroom, and it requires that all persons in a courtroom be at least 6 feet apart.

The order allows jury trials to proceed if it's required to preserve a person's constitutional right to a speedy trial and the court has presented its departmental justice a plan that:

allows for voir dire, or jury selection, involving jury panels numbering no more than 12 at a time;
uses a location that provides for social distancing;
designates how and where sidebar conversations will occur;
specifies how exhibits will be handled between attorneys, court staff, and jurors;
provides a videostream of the proceedings for public viewing, if necessary; and
specifies how the jury will be managed to meet social distancing requirements, addresses jurors' ability to hear and see witnesses and exhibits, and identifies where jurors will deliberate, including how they will leave for and return from deliberation.

Administrative Order 2020-PR-055 renews the suspension of certain deadlines and time standards, including applicable statutory speedy trial provisions, for any municipal court closed or continuing trials because of COVID-19. The suspensions remain in effect until the court reopens and can reasonably place the case on its calendar, or until further order. The suspensions do not apply when a person is held in custody.

The order also continues to authorize courts to conduct hearings by two-way telephone conference or videoconference communication to the extent it is permitted by the United States and Kansas Constitutions.

Administrative Order 2020-PR-056 authorizes courts to conduct hearings by two-way telephone conference or videoconference communication. The authorization applies to criminal, juvenile offender, civil, probate, child in need of care, and other proceedings. It includes all pretrial, trial, and post-trial proceedings, including plea, criminal sentencing, probation revocation, show cause, or any other proceeding. It encourages judges and litigants to use remote proceedings whenever possible and especially when a person involved in the case expresses health concerns.

The order requires remote proceedings to allow for confidential communication, and that the proceedings be publicly available during the proceeding or by recording afterward.

The order remains in effect until further order of the chief justice or until it expires under terms specified in House Substitute for Senate Bill 102, which is 150 days following the expiration of a declared state of disaster emergency.

Administrative Order 2020-PR-057 suspends all statutory deadlines and time limitations to bring a defendant to trial. The suspension remains in effect until further order or it expires under provisions in House Substitute for Senate Bill 102.

Administrative Order 2020-PR-058 suspends statutes of limitations, statutory time standards, or deadlines that apply to conducting or processing judicial proceedings. Under the order, no action may be dismissed for lack of prosecution or failure to meet a deadline, except when a judge, appellate judicial officer, or hearing officer exempts a case from the suspension.

The order does not affect deadlines or time limitations to bring a criminal defendant to trial, as those are suspended by Administrative Order 2020-PR-057.

The suspensions under this order remain in effect until further order or they expire under provisions in House Substitute for Senate Bill 102.

Court operations during pandemic

For all court actions related to the pandemic, visit Kansas courts response to COVID-19.

Eight more District Courts to process marriage licences - 5-13-2020

Administrative Order 2020-PR-044 - 05-01-2020: Reissuing Administrative Order 2020-PR-36 under Governor’s April 30, 2020, State of Disaster Emergency Declaration

This order suspends deadlines, time standards, and other applicable speedy trial provisions in municipal courts that have been closed by the COVID-19 pandemic and establishes that they will remain suspended until the court reopens and can reasonably place cases on its calendar or until further order. It also authorizes using two-way telephonic or electronic audio-visual communication in court proceedings to the extent they are permitted by the United States and Kansas Constitutions.

Administrative Order 2020-PR-045 - 05-01-2020: Authorizing Two-Way Audio-Visual Communication in Any CourtProceeding

In this order, the chief justice authorizes courts to use two-way audio-visual communication to replace in-person judicial proceedings to protect the health and safety of court users, staff, and judicial officers.

The remote proceeding must be consistent with the United States and Kansas Constitutions, allow for confidential communication between counsel and a party or witness, and be reviewable by the public contemporaneously or soon after.

Administrative Order 2020-PR-046 - 05-01-2020: Suspending Deadlines and Time Limitations Under K.S.A. 2019 Supp. 22-3402

In this order, the chief justice suspends deadlines and time limitations to bring defendants to trial under authority granted her by House Substitute for Senate Bill 102, which took effect on its March 19, 2020, publication in the Kansas Register.

Administrative Order 2020-PR-047 - 05-01-2020: Suspending Deadlines and Time Limitations in Judicial Proceedings

In this order, the chief justice suspends statutes of limitations and statutory time standards regarding the conduct or processing of judicial proceedings under authority granted her by House Substitute for Senate Bill 102, which became law March 19.

The order allows for a district or appellate judge, or hearing officer, to exempt a case from the suspension of a statutory or other deadline, as long as it does not involve a matter covered by the governor’s Executive Order 20-10, which temporarily prohibits certain foreclosures and evictions.

Administrative Order 2020-PR-048 - 05-01-2020: Order Relating to District Court Operations in Counties Not Affected by a Stay-at-Home Order or Subject to a Directive Closing a County Courthouse or Other Judicial Office

This order applies to court operations in cities and counties in which no local stay-at-home order is in place now or after such a stay-at-home order is lifted.

It directs the chief judge of the judicial district to work with the local public health official to verify that all appropriate measures are taken to protect the health and safety of the public, court users, court staff, and judicial officers. It also includes instructions for staffing the court.

District Court Dockets Rescheduled - 4-14-2020

Information Concerning Filing a Protection from Abuse/Stalking Order

Citepay and Kansas Payment Center:

All Traffic, Criminal and Juvenile fines/court costs/restitution can be paid at the following site: https://www.citepayusa.com/payments/welcome.do. You will need your case number to pay online.

Child Support payment can be paid at http://www.kspaycenter.com/. You will need a case number to pay online.

Thank you!

District Court Dockets Rescheduled as of 6/22

Small Claims:
The Small Claims dockets that were scheduled on April 3^rd, 15th and May 6^th, have been reset for July 1^st @ 2:00
DUI Docket:
DUI Dockets already scheduled for April 3^rd will be reset for May 29^th @ 1:00
April 17^th, 24^th and May 1^st hearings are continued to July 24^th @ 1:00
DUI docket scheduled for May 8^th has been reset for July 31^st @ 1:30
Diversion Docket:
Dockets scheduled in April have been continued to July 14^th @1:30
Traffic:
The regular traffic Docket set for April 17^th and the 24^th are continued to July 17^th. The Docket will be divided up by last names: A-L @ 9:00 and M-Z @ 1:00.
April 24^th and May 1^st Traffic Dockets continued to July 24^th @ 1:00.
May 8^th Traffic Docket is continued to July 31^st @ 9:00
Traffic Trials:
April 3rd and April 15th hearings continued to July 1^st @ 9:00
May 6th trials continued to July 15th @ 9:00
Paternity Cases (DCF)
Please contact the Department of Children and Family Services at (913) 279-7000

Emergency operations are outlined in the Administrative Order, and
generally, include Essential functions:

State courts have been operating in a limited capacity since March 18 under earlier Supreme Court orders issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Courts initially were restricted to only essential functions, but they were later permitted to perform additional functions, to the extent local resources and circumstances allowed.

Essential functions generally include:

determining probable cause for persons arrested without a warrant;
first appearances;
bond hearings;
warrants for adults and juveniles;
juvenile detention hearings;
care and treatment emergency orders;
protection from abuse and protection from stalking temporary orders;
child in need of care hearings and orders;
commitment of sexually violent predators; and
isolation and quarantine hearings and orders.

Many courts, including the Supreme Court, have been carrying out their duties through remote hearings involving videoconferencing technology.

For a complete list of judicial branch actions to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, visit Kansas Courts Response to COVID-19.

For questions please leave a message with the Clerk of the District Court at (913) 573-2946 or email khill@wycokck.org

Providing access to courts while protecting the public and our workforce

On March 18, 2020, the Supreme Court released Administrative Order 2020-PR-016 directing all district and appellate courts to cease all but emergency operations until further order. On April 3, 2020, the Supreme Court released Administrative Order 2020-PR-32 amending Administrative Order 2020-PR-016 to:

rename emergency operations as essential functions;
clarify that litigation conduct is not limited when it does not involve a judge or court employee;
encourage parties to meet deadlines that do not require in-person proceedings;
confirm state courts must have staffing necessary to carry out essential functions and nonessential functions may be performed as local resources and circumstances allow;
clarify that hearings related to nonessential functions may occur, but only by telephone conference or videoconference;
clarify that court staff, whether working in a courthouse or from home, may perform both essential and nonessential functions; and
clarify that courts continue to accept electronic filings in all case types and explain that processing of filings related to nonessential functions may be delayed depending on staffing levels and demands of essential functions.

Statutes of limitations and statutory time standards suspended

The 2020 House Substitute for Senate Bill No. 102 referenced in Administrative Order 2020-PR-016 was published in the March 19, 2020, Kansas Register. It permits the chief justice to suspend until further order all statutes of limitations and statutory time standards or deadlines that apply to conducting or processing judicial proceedings. During the effective dates of the order, no action will be dismissed for lack of prosecution.