Division Six belongs to Six.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius announced Tuesday she had picked Lawrence resident Stephen N. Six to become Douglas County’s newest district court judge. The new seat, Division Six of the Seventh Judicial District, was created last year by the Legislature to meet a growing caseload.

Six, 39, is a partner in the Kansas City, Mo., law firm Shamberg, Johnson & Bergman and represents plaintiffs in personal-injury and product-liability cases. He grew up in Lawrence and is the son of retired Kansas Supreme Court Justice Fred Six.

“Steve’s litigation and trial experience will be most beneficial as he takes the bench, and I am confident he will serve the people of Douglas County well,” Sebelius said in a prepared statement.

Community involvement

Sebelius selected Six instead of finalists James T. George, a Lawrence defense attorney, and Peggy C. Kittel, who had been in a limited role as District Court Judge Pro Tem. Kittel’s seat was created in 2001 and paid for by the county as a stopgap measure, but money for it ended in December.

Six, who is married with three children, is president of the West Hills Homes Assn. He was co-chairman of the commuter division for last year’s Douglas County United Way campaign.

He was an honor student at the Kansas University law school and worked as a judicial clerk for Deanell Tacha, Lawrence, the chief judge for the 10th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals. His professional involvement includes serving on the Kansas Bar Association Board of Governors.

“It’s been important for me to be involved in the profession,” Six said in a recent interview.

Sebelius supporter

One of the partners in Six’s firm is a friend of Sebelius, and all five partners supported her campaign financially. But Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said political ties didn’t influence the governor’s decision.

“That’s not information that we gather or seek or consider,” she said.

Judge candidates narrowed to three (12-04-04)

District Court Administrative Judge Robert Fairchild said that because Six needed to end his practice, there was no timeline for when he would be sworn in. Details of what kinds of cases he’ll handle haven’t been settled, either.

“Steve Six is a very qualified individual who will make an excellent judge,” Fairchild said.

Six could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

“I look at this judicial position as having an opportunity to do a little different public-service work in the judicial profession,” he told the Journal-World in a recent interview.

New judge needed

Six will occupy the courtroom Kittel has been using the past three years at the Douglas County Judicial & Law Enforcement Center, 111 E. 11th St.

Kittel said her job plans were still up in the air.

“I’ve enjoyed working here. It’s a wonderful group of people to work with,” she said.

Because Kittel’s job is disappearing, some question whether the new seat actually will help reduce caseloads. Douglas County already could justify a seventh judicial seat, Kansas Supreme Court Justice and Lawrence resident Robert Gernon said recently.

Shawnee County, which has an estimated population of 170,902 compared with Douglas County’s 102,983, has 14 District Court judges compared with Douglas County’s six.