20-319. Powers and duties of departmental justices; reports and information. (a) A justice assigned to each department shall:

(1) With the help and assistance of the judicial administrator, make a survey of the conditions of the dockets and business of the district courts in the justice's department and make a report and recommendations on the conditions and business to the chief justice.

(2) Assemble the judges of the district courts within the justice's department, at least annually, to discuss such recommendations and other business as will benefit the judiciary of the state. When so summoned, the judges of the district courts in the various departments shall attend such conferences at the expense of the state. Such judges shall be entitled to their actual and necessary expenses while attending such conferences and shall be required to attend the conferences unless excused by the departmental justice for good cause.

(b) Departmental justices shall have authority within their departments to assign any district judge or district magistrate judge to hear any proceeding or try any cause, within the judge's jurisdiction, in other district courts. Any departmental justice may request the assistance of any district judge or district magistrate judge from another department.

(c) Subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 20-384, and amendments thereto, the departmental justices shall supervise all administrative matters relating to the district courts within their departments and require reports periodically, covering such matters and in such form as the supreme court may determine, on any such matter which will aid in promoting the efficiency or the speedy determination of causes now pending. Nothing in this section shall grant the departmental justice the authority to make or change any budget decisions made by the chief judge of the district court pursuant to K.S.A. 20-384, and amendments thereto. Departmental justices shall have the power to examine the dockets, records and proceedings of any courts under their supervision. All judges and clerks of the several courts of the state shall promptly make such reports and furnish the information requested by any departmental justice or the judicial administrator, in the manner and form prescribed by the supreme court.

(d) In order to properly advise the three branches of government on the operation of the juvenile justice system, each district court shall furnish the judicial administrator such information regarding juveniles coming to the attention of the court pursuant to the revised Kansas code for care of children as is determined necessary by the secretary for children and families and the director of the statistical analysis center of the Kansas bureau of investigation, on forms approved by the judicial administrator. Such information shall be confidential and shall not be disseminated or publicly disclosed in a manner which enables identification of any individual who is a subject of the information.

(e) The departmental justice shall assign to each chief judge in the justice's department such duties as are necessary to carry out the intent of just, speedy and inexpensive litigation for the litigants of the state.

History: L. 1965, ch. 215, § 2; L. 1976, ch. 146, § 6; L. 1982, ch. 182, § 123; L. 1983, ch. 140, § 4; L. 1986, ch. 115, § 35; L. 1999, ch. 57, § 16; L. 2006, ch. 200, § 82; L. 2014, ch. 82, § 10; July 1.