To the editor:

The Kansas Supreme Court is now usurping the guarantee of due process in the lower courts of our state. In an order that defies belief, the Kansas Supreme Court has ordered Judge Anderson not to respond to any subpoenas ordered in the case of Planned Parenthood/George Tiller v. Phill Kline.

The gag order sought by Attorney General Stephen Six flies in the face of the rule of law. In its original ruling allowing then-Attorney General Kline to obtain records from the Tiller abortion mill in Wichita in 2004, the court appointed Judge Anderson custodian of those same records. This is a role normally filled by a law enforcement individual or agency. All of the records have been redacted and contain no personal information.

As a result of the investigation, charges were subsequently filed. It is the job of the custodian to appear in court and introduce the records into evidence establishing the foundation of the charges.

The Kansas Supreme Court, without citing any case law, statute or constitutional provision, has now stepped in and is preventing this due process. What is the next step in removing due process from our courts? Will the average citizen be prevented from representation in the courts? Will evidentiary disclosure cease to exist? Where is the media on this matter that cuts directly to the heart of due process in a courtroom?

Scott Burkhart,
Lawrence