TOPEKA — After 17 years on the Kansas Surpreme Court, Chief Justice Robert E. Davis announced that he will be stepping down.
Davis submitted a letter to Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson stating his intention to retire, citing “medical issues.” Davis has been on medical leave since the spring.
In his letter to Parkinson, Davis said “I cannot say enough about how proud I am of the dedicated Kansas judges and non-judicial employees who have worked hand-in-hand to administer justice in a timely and fair manner, often under extremely adverse economic conditions.”
Davis, 70, has been a member of the Supreme Court since 1993. Before his appointment to the Supreme Court, he served eight years on the State Court of Appeals and before that as a judge of the Leavenworth County District Court. He also served a term as Leavenworth County Attorney.
“For the past 17 years, Chief Justice Davis has served the Kansas Supreme Court and the State of Kansas with the highest level of esteem for the law,” Parkinson said in a statement. “He has been a true advocate for the community, a respected colleague and a good friend.”
Justice Lawton R. Nuss, as next most tenured justice on the high court, assumes the position of Chief Justice pursuant to the Kansas Constitution. He has been acting on behalf of Chief Justice Davis during the medical leave. The vacancy on the Court will be filled through the merit selection process with nominations made by the Supreme Court Nominating Commission and appointment by the Governor.
“He has been the gentleman's gentleman throughout his career,” Nuss said of Davis. “I have never met a more gracious and humble person, who also is as skilled and learned in the law as Chief Justice Davis.”
Davis was appointed to the Kansas Court of Appeals in 1986, where he served until appointment to the Supreme Court in 1993. In addition to service with the Kansas courts, Chief Justice Davis served as a member of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, including as trial counsel in the Republic of Korea and as government appellate counsel in Washington D.C. from 1964 to 1967. He received a BA degree from Creighton University, Omaha, and a law degree from Georgetown University Law School, Washington, D.C.
“I have truly loved my judicial career in this dedicated court system, and will miss working with the district courts and with my colleagues on the Kansas Supreme Court, whose members without doubt comprise one of the best appellate courts in the country. I wish them and everyone in the courts all the best,” Davis wrote.
On the Web:
Kansas Judicial Branch: http://www.kscourts.org
