Judges should not discuss pending cases outside of court proceedings. In fact, doing so can be a violation of judicial conduct. So it was correct for Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Kay McFarland to ask an ethics panel Monday to investigate a lunch discussion by one of her fellow justices and two state senators.
Justice Lawton Nuss acknowledged meeting for lunch with Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, and Sen. Pete Brungardt, R-Salina, and briefly discussing school finance legislation, including showing them a chart Nuss made about various funding proposals. As a result, he removed himself from the state’s school finance case, as was appropriate.
But the Commission on Judicial Qualifications needs to examine the matter to see if there was an ethics violation and, if so, to determine the appropriate punishment. What’s not needed, at this point, is for lawmakers to further politicize the issue by holding their own hearings, as the Senate Elections and Local Government Committee did Tuesday, and using it as an excuse to not adequately fund public schools.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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33 Comments
This sounds like a case of over-kill enforcing a questionable situation. Presumably these people met to discuss information relating to school finance, one of the most important issues to come before our state legislature. Its a judgment call where no one can make the judgment. But I don’t think we should lose valuable input of officials charged with finding a solution.
If they demand an investigation of Alito’s hunting trip with Cheney also, I’m all for it!
Eagle flip-flop alert! Just the other day this was much ado about nothing (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) so long as the kiddies get their cash!Make sure you have a spotter for those flip-flops, Eagle!
Funny, just a few days ago Rhonda Holman didn’t think any investigation was necessary.
The Judical Qualifications panel investigation will be fine, insofar as it will look at Justice Nuss actions at the suprise lunch meeting when he just happened to bring his spreadsheets.
What about the rest of the smell? Who prepared the spreadsheet and where did Justice Nuss get the information? Justice Nuss telling senators that they need a bipartisan bill? Wouldn’t that directly benefit Justice Allegeruci’s wife as a paid staff member of the Kansas Democratic Party?
Move along people. Nothing more to see here. Move along.
Funny that don allegrucci isnt mentioned in this ethics violation but he gets his and his wife’s name drug through the mud anyway. Twofer for the gop spin machine in this state.
I can tell you I am no fan of the ayatollah allegruccis. Either of them. But gee…
Arent these all republicans who had lunch with judge judy? Pete and Steve are both MODERATE republicians, not dems. Not a dem in sight at that meeting.
So why the focus on the dems, and no criticism of the cozy relationship between the r’s and the supremes?
Or is this another “bipartisan” scandal?
Dont think for one moment that the susan wagle, bonnie huy, and ruby arm of the republican party wont eat it’s own in pursuit of their ideological jihad. They will. Just ask Pete and Steve.
I am no fan of joyce allegrucci. In fact, she is my bitter enemy on water issues and the hate amendment.
But for crying out loud… she RESIGNED as the governor’s chief of staff before she went to work on the yet to be announced campaign for governor leadership.
She is NOT doing politics on the state payroll. She resigned, by the book, and took another job, by the book. What the hell else do you want from her?
You cant have it both ways. If she stays she is in trouble and if she goes she is in trouble. I smell gop spin.
Ya know… she coulda just stayed on the state dime. Like so many others have done. I mean, its not like r’s NEVER have political operatives on the public payroll.
Karl rove anyone? He’s STILL being paid by your tax dollars. Hell, phill klein’s entire operation is one big political campaign.
Kansas… as hypocritical as you think.
No, she isn’t on the government payroll. She is on the payroll of the Kansas Democratic Party.
BTW, Karl Rove’s wife isn’t a Supreme Court justice. Joyce Allegerucci’s husband is.
KFG,
I do not believe that the issue here is republican or democrat. It is about the Supreme Court doing what they are suppose to do and that is not to be in politics. So the issue with Joyce and her husband are the fact that as the suit was with the Supreme Court during Joyce’s time while employed by the governor. She was the governor’s campaign manager prior to that and is now being paid by the democrat party for the governor’s campaign. So there is a concern that outside discussions occur with Joyce and her husband then get relayed to the governor.
It is important that no matter what your political beliefs that our supreme court be above politics and make their decisions on law not their personal opinions etc. So no matter whom you are or what you believe we should be able to feel comfortable that the Supreme Court is fair to all.
OMG, NOW the ruby faction of the party wants the supremes to be above politics? After the republican horses have left the barn?
They, meaning republicans, get caught doing something wrong, but they want to divert your attention to the gov’s FORMER chief of staff who now works for the dem party?
Indeed, move along here nothing to see. Pay no attention to the men behind the curtain.
Hmmm…. which is worse. Speculation on the supremes getting info to the gov…
…or republiicans ACTUALLY meeting with the supremes to improperly influence their decision?
You decide.
Of course, the rubys of the world want you to PAY NO ATTENTION to the fact that the men behind the curtain just happen to be republicans.
I cant wait for someone here to say clinton did it or it is all the fault of the media.
Ruby, y’all got caught in your own dirty tricks, and now you have to denounce your own or admit the wrong doing. No matter how hard you spin, it is not a bipartisan scandal.
When you have something other than wild speculation about the allegurcci’s (swift boating) please post it here.
Otherwise… we are reveling in the FACTS that two repubs met with judge judy in a meeting of questionable propriety on school finance.
But please, continue your labored hypothisis that joyce is the culprit.
And no rebuttle on the karl rove as political operative on the tax payers dime?
No mention of scalia and his hunting trips with dead eye cheney?
No dear ruby, the FACTS about scandals on justice tampering are currently ALL republican all the time.
At least joyce had the decency to officially work for the party. Unlike karl “chief of politics” rove STILL on the public dime. OR antonin “i heart republicans” scalia.
But please, continue to pretend to take the high road on justice. I mean who are we gonna believe? You? or those lyin’ eyes of ours…
Heheh. Still laughing. Bagging on don allegrucci’s wife when jack abramhoff was paying off the WIVES of congressmen? There is SPECULATION about dem pillowtalk but we have FACTS about r’s trying to unduly influence justice. In kansas and in washington?
You are right here in saying that the republicans truely have no shame and no honor. This is an outrageous example of the pot calling the kettle black.
The only question is… who will the voters believe. Ruby spin or their own eyes and ears?
“No, she isn’t on the government payroll. She is on the payroll of the Kansas Democratic Party.
BTW, Karl Rove’s wife isn’t a Supreme Court justice. Joyce Allegerucci’s husband is.”
Karl doesnt have a wife does he? And jack paying off congressional wives? ANd republicans conducting secret meetings with a kansas supreme court justice?
Then you imply the wife of a supreme doesnt have the right to a legitimate political job, but scalia can go hunting with cheney anytime?
Who wants to guess where more politics and justice issues get discussed? Don and joyce’s bedroom or cheney and scalia’s duck blind.
Kansas… as wingnuttia as you think.
I just love to see ‘em spin here.
I put in Alito when I should have said Scalia. oops.On the subject of Karl Rove, I see he is meeting for the fifth time with the Grand Jury investigating the Plame leak. I wonder if he isn’t about to be impeached soon, and that’s the real reason for his job duty changes. He may be tied up soon preparing his own defense.
Damn, bad day, I said impeached istead of indicted. Or, maybe it was a freudian slip. Since he is the brain behind the president.
Hee, hee. Ain’t it fun to see the Repubs squirm and try to shift the blame?
Yes, I imagine there are a few of them leaking all over themselves now!
First of all, try to imagine a conservative Kansas Supreme Court judge. One you get over that, admittedly high, bar. Imagine Phill Kline or Corkins having lunch with that justice along with Susan Wagle right before a major court ruling that had been front page news for months! You’d have to pick up your Eagle with gloves because of all the outrage dripping from it!
I reading joe’s latest blow…
Did anyone notice that EVERYONE currently involved with these improper meetings with the supremes, and EVERYONE hypothetically listed by joe blow..
EVERY ONE OF THEM IS A REPUBLICAN!!!!
Dont think it matters to the rest of us what KIND of republican they are.
NO honor. NO shame. NO INCUBMENTS!!!
Surely joe, you are not speaking of that paragon of virtue, that legislator of unimpeachable integrity, that bastion of truthfullness…
Susan “I make my money off bingo parlors but I hate gambling” Wagle are you? The same one that took gambling proponents money all while complaining about the evils of gambling? All the way to the bank with her own gambling profits susan?
The same susan who insisted voters has a right to cast a ballot on the hate amendment but who personally squashed your vote on casinos? That susan?
Naww……. must be somone else.
NO INCUMBENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
And phill “I dont mind campaigning on the taxpayers’ dollars” klein?
The one who wants to jail boys for performing oral sex but not girls? The one who would run over his grandmother to get in front of a tv camera?
And bob “religious schools need tax dollars too” corkins? Mr. “I heart connie morrise despite her cheating travel voucher ways” Corkins? Mr. “lets fire everyone on staff who doesnt support vouchers” Corkins? That bob?
heheh. the company you keep shows joe.
Damn, that was so much fun I might come back to this later…..
I really enjoy the KSFARMGIRL BLOG SITE.
The Wichita Eagle should start a blog for everyone!
gosh mama’s boy, thanks!!
I do actually have my own blog, but unlike others, I dont pimp it here.
KSFG – I did not mean to imply that the issue should not be investigated. It should be investigated and the details made available to the public. I do not care what the political party is because the judges are not supposed to be political. They do not campaign for office and sometimes a Republican governor appoints a democrat judge and a democrat governor appoints a republican judge.
So I do apologize if you thought I implied the issue should not be investigated because the people involved were republicans. It was not right and I hope that someone is able to get to the bottom of this.
Me too ruby. I really like Pete Brungardt but I think he was wearing his bad idea jeans the day he attended that luncheon.
What the hell were any of them thinking?
Steve Morris, Republican. You can take him. Please!! You libs got caught with your hands in the judicial cookie jar. Shocker. Now the Eagle is tied in knots. Shocker.
Libs? Steve Morris a lib?
ROLLING oflmao.
No, dear blow, he is all yours. Both conservative AND republican.
Check his voting record. I mean, you can do research, right? He is 100% PURE conservative republican.
Once again, the company you keep is showing blow.
That is the most desperate job of spin I have ever heard, and on this blog, with blow posting regularly, that is going some.
Libs with their hands in the cookie jar?
OMG, you DID fall through the looking glass, blow.
Heheheh. I guess it was the LIBS who needed a distraction from actually solving the school finance problem here.
And did I mention how much I liked Crowson today? He nailed it, and I especially liked seeing Tim “I hate gay people” Huelskamp in that compromising position.
He looks so comfortable posed that way. Like he is almost used to the position…
If conservative means favoring reduced government spending, the Kansas Taxpayers Network lifetime rating of 35% for Morris might tell us something.
If conservative means hating gay people, Morris qualifies right up there with bonnie huy, susan wagle, etc.
And speaking of the REPUBLICAN culture of corruption….
This list might just scare you into voting…
http://leenrage.blogspot.com/2006/04/gop-culture-of-corruption-indeed.html
But please, continue to paint all these current scandals as bipartisan.
And if you cant make that stick, please, considering the names on ALL the scandal lists, try to pin in on the liberals or moderates.
Heheh. Like I said, who will the voters believe? GOP spin, or those lyin’ eyes of theirs?
OMG, this is gittin’ good. From the article on the front page of the WE website:
“Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, said she and Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, approached Morris after the March 30 school finance debate to talk about what to do next.
Morris had voted against a plan that Barnett proposed, which failed on a 20-20 vote.”
OK… so…. is it any coincidence that jim and susan went to see morris TOGETHER? I mean, do they hang together? Are they buds?
…. or were they wondering what to do IN THEIR CAMPAIGN???????? In the face of no fix for school finance? No solution available to satisfy the anti-education wingnuts?
Were they just casually visiting steve together, trying to get steve (threaten steve?) to support big jim’s plan so he could run against Sebelius as the “man who fixed the school finance issue”?
Oh man, I am ROLLING here. This school finance conservative stalling is ALL about winning the governor’s chair. It doesnt have a DAMN thing to do with taxes.
“Wagle said Morris told them he knew the court would not accept Barnett’s plan.
“We’re not lawyers,” Wagle said. “We didn’t know the implications of what was going on until later.”
GEE, do ya suppose “later” meant “after we couldnt bully him into doing what we wanted”? Like they were so damn INNOCENT they didnt know it was wrong and didnt report it sooner?
Heheheheheheh. Here is a tip susan. JR’s 12 year old son could have told you “backdoor” conversations were improper at best, and illegal at WORST.
But you didnt know? Hmmmm. Two words. Moral compass.
“Barnett later wrote a letter to Attorney General Phill Kline, asking him to investigate any improper communication with the court.”
Once again “later” meaning “after we couldnt get him to do what we wanted”. Or maybe “after we knew mud would hit the fan and we saw we needed to cover “our” hineys”?
Heh heh heh heh. It is GOOD not to be a republican in kansas this week.
You republicans are making me cry. The water in kansas would be better off under ANYONE’s leadership besides governor leadership.
And the hits just keep rollin’ while you guys shoot yourselves in the foot. Four more years….
I hear Steve Irsek turning on the sprinklers now.