Kansas

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/03/1417884/-Judicial-Ruling-Results-in-Potential-Shut-Down-of-State-Courts?detail=email

Judicial Ruling Results in Potential Shut Down of Kansas State Courts

Attorney General Derrick Schmidt informed the courts today that their adverse ruling to the Republican preferred outcome in the Solomon case could have some negative financial results for the Kansas Judicial system. Judge Hendricks was asked to rule on an administrative change. Chief Justice Solomon had argued that the legislative change, which strips the Kansas Supreme Court of administrative authority over district courts, is unconstitutional and violates the separation of powers doctrine.

Judge Hendricks, persuaded by Justice Solomon's attorney Pedro Irigonegaray, ruled that the administrative change violated the balance of power in the Kansas constitution. Once that ruling came down, the Kansas legal system began to spin.

In a statement released on the Kansas Attorney General website, Attorney General Schmidt made the situation clear:

https://ag.ks.gov/...

“We are carefully reviewing the district court’s decision to determine next steps. My immediate concern, however, is that the court does not appear to have decided the validity of a ‘nonseverability’ clause contained in a later statute, which means today’s decision could effectively and immediately shut off all funding for the judicial branch of state government. Therefore, I intend to file tomorrow a formal request for the court to delay its decision to avoid this result. It is critical to keep the state judiciary operating.”