Supreme Court announces case for November 12 special session in Louisburg

TOPEKA—The Kansas Supreme Court announced the case it will hear in a special session Tuesday, November 12, in Louisburg, the next destination in the court's ongoing outreach to familiarize Kansans with the court, its work, and the overall role of the Kansas judiciary.

The court will be in session from 6:30 p.m. to about 7:15 p.m. at Louisburg High School, 202 Aquatic Drive, Louisburg. After the session concludes, justices will greet the public in an informal reception.

“We invite the people of Louisburg and surrounding communities to join us at Louisburg High School to hear this case,” Chief Justice Marla Luckert said. “It’s a great way to get to know our court, what we do, and how we do it. Plus, we want to meet you in the reception afterward.”

Case on docket

The case on the November 12 docket is:

Appeal No. 126,350: State of Kansas (appellee) vs. Brian Beck (appellant)

Geary County: (Criminal Appeal) Beck was stopped for a license plate violation. A vehicle search turned up almost a kilogram of methamphetamine. A jury in Geary County District Court convicted Beck of one count of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, no drug tax stamp, and interference with law enforcement. Beck appealed, arguing: 1) the district court’s denial of his request to suppress evidence was improper; 2) the jury instructions were erroneous; 3) the district court erred in overruling an objection to the police officer’s testimony; and 4) cumulative error denied him a fair trial. The Court of Appeals affirmed Beck’s convictions, finding the jury instructions were erroneous but harmless. The Supreme Court granted Beck’s petition for review only on the suppression issue.

Issues on review are whether: 1) the Court of Appeals erred by affirming the district court’s interpretation of Kansas’ license plate display statute; and 2) the district court erroneously denied the motion to suppress.

Case information online

Briefs filed by the attorneys involved in this case are on the judicial branch website at www.kscourts.gov/travel-docket. Briefs include details about the case and the issues before the Supreme Court.

Attend the special session

Anyone who wants to attend the special session in person should plan to arrive early to allow time to get through security screening. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Court security offers these guidelines to ease the screening process:

• Do not bring food or drink.

• Do not bring large bags, large purses, backpacks, computer cases, or briefcases. Small handbags are permitted.

• Do not bring knives, pepper spray, firearms, or weapons.

• Do not bring electronic devices such as laptop computers, handheld games, personal digital assistants, or tablets. If you must carry a cell phone, turn it off and store it out of sight while court is in session.

Decorum during oral argument

Audience members must not talk during oral argument because it interferes with the attorneys’ remarks and questions asked by justices. Talking immediately outside the auditorium is also discouraged.

If someone arrives after proceedings start, or must leave the auditorium before it ends, they should be as quiet as possible entering and exiting the auditorium.

Livestream

The special session will be streamed live online at www.YouTube.com/KansasSupremeCourt.

Communities visited

The Supreme Court has conducted special sessions outside its Topeka courtroom since 2011, when it marked the state's 150th anniversary by convening in the historic Supreme Court courtroom in the Kansas Statehouse. Since then, the court has conducted special sessions in Colby, Concordia, Dodge City, El Dorado, Emporia, Garden City, Great Bend, Greensburg, Hays, Hiawatha, Hutchinson, Kansas City, Lansing, Lawrence, Manhattan, Overland Park, Parsons, Pittsburg, Salina, Topeka, Wichita, and Winfield.