TOPEKA — If a Kansas man had been convicted at trial of felony theft, one of his jurors might have been none other than the top official on the judicial panel that ultimately could have reviewed his appeal.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss reported for jury duty Tuesday with 51 other Shawnee County residents, with an opinion he was drafting in his briefcase.

Lawton Nuss

Nuss wasn’t selected because the defendant pleaded guilty, avoiding trial.

Nuss said Wednesday he was prepared to be there as long as the process took, spending idle time checking his emails on his iPhone.

As a 15-year member of Kansas’ high court, Nuss has been called for jury duty three times but didn’t have to report for duty the first two times.