20-2903. District judicial nominating commission; establishment; composition; chairperson, appointment, duties; purpose of commission. (a) There is hereby established in each judicial district a district judicial nominating commission, which shall consist of an equal number of lawyers and non-lawyers. The lawyer members of each nominating commission shall be elected as provided in K.S.A. 20-2904, and the non-lawyer members shall be appointed as provided in K.S.A. 20-2905. The chairperson of the commission shall be a justice of the supreme court or a district judge who is not a judge in such judicial district, to be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the chief justice of the supreme court. It shall be the duty of the chairperson to preside at all meetings of the commission, but he or she shall not be entitled to vote.

(b) The purpose of the district judicial nominating commission shall be to nominate persons for appointment to the office of judge of the district court in a judicial district. Any person so nominated shall have the qualifications prescribed by law for such office, and shall be a person of recognized integrity, character, ability, experience and judicial temperament, to the end that persons serving as judges of the district court will be the best qualified therefor.

History: L. 1974, ch. 137, § 3; L. 1976, ch. 145, § 97; January 10, 1977.