David Kennedy, defeated for re-election in 2006, will return to the bench on temporary assignment in Sedgwick County District Court.
Kennedy, who served as a judge for 28 years, has been assigned as “pro-tem” to preside over juvenile jury trials expected to begin next month. Chief Judge Michael Corrigan announced that Kennedy will be called to help with jury trials for juveniles until two new judges’ positions are filled in January.
It’s not the first time a judge has lost an election in Sedgwick County and returned to the courthouse in the black robe. Carol Bacon currently handles protection from abuse and stalking dockets on a pro-tem basis.
4 Comments
This is an outrage! He was duly unelected and removed. The Honorable Judge Corrigan is not showing much respect for the citizens whom voted to end David Kennedy’s act.
I do not understand this to be uncommon. After Jennifer Jones lost her District Judgeship election she became head of our Municipal Court. Removing females from judgeships has been a decade long goal of some.
People may not like that Judge Kennedy is the “hanging judge” but wouldn’t you rather have that than one too lenient? I was shocked he was voted out. He has a brilliant legal mind and a great personality, at least off the bench.
Give me a choice between two candidates and I might believe both to be good, yet I can vote for only one. A sitting judge can lose an election for a myriad of reasons. While some people may perceive losing an election to be like getting fired, that doesn’t make it so. Sense101’s comment doesn’t seem logical.