Staff Report
Jacy J. Hurst
TOPEKA – Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday appointed Jacy J. Hurst, of Lawrence, to fill the vacancy on the Kansas Court of Appeals that was created by the elevation of former Court of Appeals Judge Melissa Standridge to the Kansas Supreme Court.
Hurst is currently a partner with the law firm Kutak Rock LLP in Kansas City, Mo. If confirmed by the Kansas Senate, she would be the first woman of color on the Kansas Court of Appeals.
“Jacy will be a great asset and hardworking judge on the Court of Appeals,” Kelly said in a news release Thursday. “She is a lifelong Kansan who has not only excelled performing high-level work at some of Kansas City’s most competitive law firms, she also has the heart of a public servant.”
Stinson adds more legal experience to its banking team in Kansas City - Kansas City Business Journal bizjournals.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bizjournals.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Gary J. Bjorge, Lawrence
To the editor:
The Lawrence Journal-World on Jan. 30 brought the news that Douglas County’s recently sworn-in district attorney, Suzanne Valdez, has resigned from the University of Kansas School of Law. Only news that she had been fired would have been better.
I’m not a lawyer, but her withholding student grades in order to try to squeeze $7,500 out of KU appears looks like extortion. Extortion is intentionally and wrongfully demanding anything of value from the owner, proprietor or other person having a financial interest in a business by either threatening to harm the business or promising to protect the business. Valdez tried to create “leverage” over the KU law school. Furthermore, if she told her students that she was going to withhold their grades beforehand, and they agreed to let her withhold their grades, then she maybe made them accomplices. This is a serious matter that deserves further investigation and a complete report to the public.
Updated at 4:46 p.m. Friday
Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez resigned Thursday from her job at the University of Kansas School of Law, the DA’s office said in a news release Friday.
Valdez, a Democrat who was sworn in as the district attorney earlier this month, was put on administrative leave after a conflict with KU in which she withheld student grades over a pay dispute with the university.
The news release from her office Friday criticized KU for “refus(ing) to make positive changes” on issues related to racial justice, gender inequity and sexual assault. Further detail on these complaints was not provided; however, Valdez said earlier this month that KU’s actions during the pay dispute were in retaliation for her criticism of the university.
The role of dark money in nonprofits is going to have its day in the Supreme Court.
The plaintiff, and many of the filers of 22 amicus briefs, are connected to the influential ultrawealthy Koch family.
The ruling could have far-reaching consequences for money and politics.
Billionaire Charles Koch hails from one of the most influential (and wealthy) families in family. Behind Koch Industries, a conglomerate that produces everything from toilet paper to crude oil, the Kochs are known for reshaping American politics by putting millions behind conservative causes like lowering taxes and undercutting climate science and for contributing to likeminded several think tanks and nonprofits.