Public Safety

9 nominees vying to fill vacancy created by Judge Pokorny’s retirement

The names of nine nominees to replace retired Judge Sally Pokorny as a Douglas County District Court judge were announced Friday afternoon. Pokorny, who presided over Division 2 and primarily heard felony criminal cases, retired on April 10 after 17 years on the bench. The 7th Judicial ...

Trial in 2023 domestic violence case canceled at last minute as attorney withdraws

A felony domestic violence case that was set to go to trial on Monday was derailed at the very last minute Friday, when one of the defendant's appointed attorneys was allowed to withdraw from the case. The case will now begin anew with a different court-appointed attorney. Attorney Michael ...

Court order to allow jailed defendant to see dying infant comes too late

A Douglas County inmate who was seeking to visit his infant daughter at a Kansas City, Missouri, hospital, was given court permission to do so on Friday, but by then the child had died. The inmate, Jaystyn Curtiss, 20, of Lawrence, was still going to be allowed to see his child on Friday ...

Dillons employee charged with felony theft for allegedly stealing $25K from store

A Lawrence grocery store employee who was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of stealing thousands of dollars from his employer has now been charged with felony theft. Ethan Cade Waters, 21, is accused in a criminal complaint filed Wednesday of stealing $25,000 from the Dillons store at ...