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Court of Appeals Judge, Position 09

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    Karen Arnold-Burger
    (Non)

Biographical Information

How do your background and education inform your actions as a judge/justice?

How do you balance the need for justice with the rights of the accused in a case?

Personal Biography Chief Judge Karen Arnold-Burger is a fourth-generation Kansan born in Kansas City, Kansas. She worked as a municipal and federal prosecutor and then as a municipal judge before being named to the Kansas Court of Appeals in 2011. She became chief judge in 2017. She has presented programs throughout her career to judges, lawyers and community groups around the state and the country on a wide range of topics. She particularly enjoys speaking to community groups about how our courts work.
Education Shawnee Mission North High School Class of 1975; Johnson County Community College 1975-76; University of Kansas, 1976-1978-B.A. Political Science, Psychology and Personnel Administration; KU Law School 1979-1981, J.D.
Community/Public Service Currently Vice-Chair, Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area; Executive Board and Program Co-Chair for the Council of Chief Judges of State Courts of Appeal, Member of the American Law Institute; Former President of the Johnson County Bar Association, the Earl E. O'Connor Inn of Court, and the Kansas Municipal Judges Association; and Faculty Council of the National Judicial College.
I was the first in my family to attend college. My father had an 8th grade education and my mother 10th. I financed my education through scholarships and jobs in food service and dry cleaning. I recognize that lawyers and courtrooms are very intimidating to most people and I strive to make sure everyone feels that they are heard, their case is important, and they are treated fairly.
The rights of the accused must be recognized and protected or justice cannot be done.