Douglas County issued a statement Thursday in support of an embattled health order that, among other things, limits the hours that bars can be open amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In addition, attorneys John Bullock and Bradley Finkeldei, of the law firm Stevens & Brand, filed a legal brief on the county's behalf in response to one of two lawsuits that question the health order. The order mandates ...
A former McLouth High School teacher has been charged in a second child sex crime case involving a student, and he is also facing a civil lawsuit from one of his alleged victims. Anthony J. Kuckelman, recently of Lawrence, was charged May 5 in Jefferson County District court with three felony counts of unlawful sexual relations that allegedly occurred between December 2017 and May 2019, The Associated Press ...
The Criminal Justice Coordinating Council focused most of its meeting Wednesday on discussing the next steps to address disparities that have led to Douglas County’s incarceration rate for Black people being nearly five times that of white people. Looking forward, the council hopes to see data on criminal history, as well as mapping of arrests. In addition, members want to get more perspectives from members ...
Douglas County’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council on Wednesday will discuss racial and ethnic disparities and hear an update on statewide criminal justice reform, according to the council’s online agenda. Lawrence Mayor Jennifer Ananda will lead the CJCC in a discussion on goals and outcomes for data analysis regarding racial and ethnic disparities, according to the agenda. As the Journal-World has ...
The owner of a downtown Lawrence bar is asking a federal judge to rule that a Douglas County health order limiting business hours is unconstitutional and unenforceable. The lawsuit also seeks due process, such as a hearing before a neutral party, to determine whether the bar is safe to operate amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. No such process exists under the health order — so, the complaint states, the ...
Three judges on the bench in Douglas County District Court will be on the ballot for retention in the Nov. 3 general election. Chief Judge James McCabria, Judge Kay Huff and Judge Mark Simpson, all of Lawrence, only need a simple majority of “yes” votes to retain their seats, County Clerk Jamie Shew said. The same applies to the state court judges up for retention this year. Justice Eric Rosen, of ...