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

      (1)   With the help and assistance of the judicial administrator, makea survey of the conditions of the dockets and business of the districtcourts in the justice's department and make a report and recommendationson the conditions and business to the chief justice.

      (2)   Assemble the judges of the district courts withinthe justice'sdepartment, at least annually, to discuss such recommendations andother business as will benefit the judiciary of the state. When sosummoned, the judges of the district courts in the various departmentsshall attend such conferences at the expense of the state. Such judgesshall be entitled to their actual and necessary expenses while attendingsuch conferences and shall be required to attend the conferences unlessexcused by the departmental justice for good cause.

      (b)   Departmental justices shall have authority within theirdepartments to assign any district judge ordistrict magistrate judge to hear any proceeding or try any cause,within the judge's jurisdiction, in other district courts. Anydepartmental justice may request the assistance of any district judge ordistrict magistrate judge from anotherdepartment.

      (c)   The departmental justices shall supervise all administrativematters relating to the district courts within their departments andrequire reports periodically, covering such matters and in suchform as the supreme court may determine, on any such matter which willaid in promoting the efficiency or the speedy determination of causesnow pending. Departmental justices shall have the power to examine the dockets,recordsand proceedings of any courts under their supervision. All judges andclerks of the several courts of the state shall promptly make suchreports and furnish the information requested by any departmentaljustice or thejudicial administrator, in the manner and form prescribed bythe supreme court.

      In order to properly advise the three branches of government on the operationof the juvenile justice system, each district court shall furnish the judicialadministrator such information regarding juveniles coming to the attentionof the court pursuant to the revised Kansas code for care of children asis determined necessary by the secretary ofsocial and rehabilitation services and the director of the statistical analysiscenter of the Kansas bureau of investigation, on forms approved by the judicialadministrator. Such information shall be confidential and shall not bedisseminated or publicly disclosed in a manner which enables identificationof any individual who is a subject of the information.

      The departmental justice shall assign to each chief judge in the justice'sdepartment such duties as are necessary to carry out the intent of just, speedyand 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; Jan. 1, 2007.