Kansas

Did convicted ‘Cold Blood’ murderers in Capote novel also kill a Florida family?

When four members of a Kansas farm family were found dead in their home in 1959, the detective in charge of the investigation thought the culprit must be a local man with a grudge against the head of the family. Authorities hesitated for several days before pursuing a lead from…

May 17, 2013 7:44 PM CDT

Former defense lawyer gets 5 years in Secret Service money-laundering sting

Once a prominent criminal defense attorney, Ronald E. Partee, 66, had little to say as he was sentenced Monday by a federal judge in Kansas City to five years in prison. He will serve the time at a prison camp in South Dakota, to minimize contact with his former clients.…

Apr 30, 2013 5:08 PM CDT

Longtime defense lawyer takes plea in Secret Service money-laundering sting

A prominent Missouri criminal defense lawyer has taken a plea in a federal money-laundering conspiracy case that arose from a Secret Service sting, effectively ending his legal career. Ronald E. Partee admitted in federal court in Kansas on Wednesday that he agreed to help hide the source of what he…

Jan 30, 2013 9:02 PM CST

Both bachelor’s and JD degree can be earned in only 6 years under new program

Corrected: Amidst national criticism of the cost of obtaining a law degree, the University of Kansas is offering an option that eliminates a year of tuition. Those who earn both their bachelor’s degree and their juris doctorate from KU can do so in a total of six years, instead of…

Jan 18, 2013 5:30 PM CST

Kansas Sues Sperm Donor for Support, Says Written Waiver of Parental Rights Is Not Valid

The state of Kansas is suing a sperm donor for parental support of his child, contending that the written agreement he made with a lesbian couple to relinquish his parental rights isn’t valid. William Marotta responded in 2009 to a Craigslist ad seeking a sperm donor. He and the two…

Jan 2, 2013 6:02 PM CST

Ex-Navy Lawyer Is Disbarred for Sending Secret Names of Gitmo Detainees to Legal Group

The Kansas Supreme Court has disbarred a former Navy lawyer who mailed a classified list of Guantanamo detainees to the Center for Constitutional Rights. A majority of the court supported disbarment for Matthew Diaz, while a minority would have imposed an indefinite suspension, according to the opinion (PDF). Diaz had…

Nov 26, 2012 12:15 PM CST

Ex-Kansas AG Kline Tells Judges His Office ‘Endeavored Forthright’ in Abortion-Provider Probes

Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline told judges hearing his disciplinary case on Thursday that he never intentionally lied during his investigation of abortion providers. Kline is accused of misleading others, or allowing his subordinates to mislead others, including grand jurors, report the Lynchburg News & Advance, the Topeka Capital-Journal…

Nov 16, 2012 2:55 PM CST

Judge Orders Newspaper to ID Claimed Juror Who Commented Online During Trial Over Attorney’s Murder

A Kansas newspaper has been ordered to identify to a local court an anonymous website poster who claimed to be a juror in a high-profile felony murder trial in which an attorney was the victim. The Topeka Capital-Journal will not contest the Shawnee County District Court order requiring it to…

Nov 1, 2012 5:44 PM CDT

Ex-Navy Lawyer Who Gave Detainee Names to Legal Group Fights for His Law License

A former Navy lawyer who mailed a classified list of Guantanamo detainees to the Center for Constitutional Rights is fighting for his law license. The Kansas Supreme Court will hear arguments today on a recommended three-year suspension for Matthew Diaz, the Associated Press reports. The suspension would be retroactive to…

Oct 25, 2012 1:20 PM CDT

Lawyer Faces Federal Case, Accused of Handling Client Trust Money in Ponzi-Scheme-Like Manner

A Kansas lawyer has been charged in federal court in Topeka with stealing more than $463,000 from his client trust account, which he is accused of handling in a manner equivalent to a Ponzi scheme. Robert M. Telthorst, 52, faces charges of money laundering and wire fraud after prosecutors say…

Oct 15, 2012 5:30 PM CDT

As Law School Applications Drop 13.7 Percent Nationwide, KU Sees a 19 Percent Increase

As the number of law school applications fell, overall, throughout the country for the second year in a row, a relative handful of law schools saw their numbers increase, sometimes dramatically. Among them was Kansas University School of Law, which says it had a 19 percent increase in applications in…

Oct 2, 2012 7:34 PM CDT

Lawyer Is Sentenced to Prison for Role in $52M Ponzi Scheme

A suburban Kansas City, Mo., lawyer has been sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $34 million restitution for his role in a $52 million Ponzi scheme. James Scott Brown, 67, was sentenced on Tuesday, report the Kansas City Business Journal, the Daily RFT, the Associated Press…

Aug 8, 2012 3:54 PM CDT

Bar Program in Kansas Promotes Rural Practice, an Increasingly Appealing Choice for Law Grads

As law grads in the Midwest struggle to find employment, small-town practice is gaining in allure. In Kansas, the state bar association is teaming with the University of Kansas and Washburn law schools to promote rural opportunities for law students, the Kansas City Star reports. One program promotes business management…

Jul 17, 2012 12:44 PM CDT

As Nation Swelters, Law Firm Workers Keep Winter Gear at Hand to Deal with Arctic Indoor Temps

It may be nearly 100 degrees outside. But for those working inside at law firms, among other businesses, the challenge can be keeping warm rather than keeping cool. Katherine Jackson, an assistant in the Kansas City offices of Bryan Cave, has not only a jacket but gloves at hand to…

Jul 9, 2012 3:50 PM CDT

First Felony Murder Trial Under Way in Slaying of Kansas Lawyer

Nearly a year after a Kansas lawyer was shot to death as she returned home after celebrating her 40th birthday, the first trial is well under way in an unusual felony murder case involving multiple defendants. Nine individuals are accused of involvement in the fatal shooting of Natalie Gibson and…

Jul 5, 2012 6:33 PM CDT