Suzanne Valdez during opening arguments on May 30, 2024, in Douglas County District Court.

Former Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez — who lost her bid for re-election last year — is making an appearance again as a prosecutor in Douglas County District Court.

Valdez has made an entry of appearance in a child sex crime case as an associate counsel to the prosecution ahead of an April trial. Valdez joined the prosecution at the end of February via a little-used state statute that allows a prosecuting witness to hire an attorney to aid state prosecutors.

The statute, KSA 19-717, reads “…such attorney or attorneys shall be recognized by the county attorney and court as associate counsel in such action or proceeding.”

The statute also ensures that the criminal case cannot be dismissed without the court hearing and weighing any objections by the associate counsel.

Valdez joins the prosecution ahead of the April trial of Justin Robert Royer, 44, of Eudora, who is charged with two felony counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and one felony count of lewd and lascivious behavior. The indecent liberties charges could result in a life sentence if Royer is convicted of either count. The girl was under the age of 14 at the time of the alleged incidents between 2016 and 2020.

Valdez was originally on the case since its filing but the case was assigned to Senior Assistant District Attorney Ricardo Leal after Valdez left office, according to court records. The Journal-World has reached out to the DA’s office to learn more about the associate counsel process and what it means to the prosecution.

Royer was ordered to stand trial on the charges in November 2024 after a teenage girl testified at a preliminary hearing that Royer touched her in ways that made her feel uncomfortable and repeatedly exposed himself to her on video chat while she was playing online video games. Royer’s alleged behavior was brought to the attention of a parent of the girl when her stepmother walked in a room and saw Royer exposing himself via a video call while playing a video game with the girl.

At the time of the preliminary hearing, Valdez was waiting for her term as district attorney to end after Dakota Loomis had won the general election. Loomis had defeated Valdez in the Democratic Primary in August 2024, as the Journal-World reported.

Loomis also was connected to the case prior to assuming the office of district attorney. As a defense attorney, Loomis originally represented Royer when he was first charged. Loomis, however, withdrew from Royer’s case in July 2024 when he passed the case on to Branden Smith, according to court records.

Royer’s trial is scheduled for April 21, just three weeks after the Kansas Supreme Court is set to hear arguments from Valdez related to a disciplinary case that is pending against her. The Supreme Court is weighing what type of discipline she should face for violating the Kansas Attorney Professional Rules of Conduct for actions she took against Douglas County’s Chief Judge James McCabria shortly after she took office in 2021. A panel for the Kansas Board for Discipline of Attorneys recommended in April 2024 that the high court censure Valdez for “undignified or discourteous conduct” toward McCabria, as the Journal-World reported.

Special Prosecutor Kimberly Bonifas who brought the disciplinary case to the state board, recommended in December 2023 that Valdez lose her law license for one year. Valdez, however, objected to that recommendation, and Valdez has asked the court for an informal admonition instead. Bonifas, in turn, has objected to Valdez’s request for an informal admonition, arguing that Valdez’s actions against McCabria were public and so too should be her punishment.