BIDS Board Member Profile: Braden Perry
by Caroline Zuschek, Deputy Capital Appellate Defender
A University of Kansas School of Law graduate who now hails from Mission Hills, Kansas, Braden Perry has been on the Board since 2018. Although he was appointed by the Governor, Braden specifically pursued the opportunity to serve.
Congratulations New Public Defenders
by Meryl Carver-Allmond, BIDS Training Director
Warmest congratulations to our public defenders who passed the Kansas Bar Exam this week!
Happy 50th Anniversary to the Third Judicial District Public Defender Office
by Danielle Hamilton Slate, Senior Assistant Capital Defender
This July, the Third Judicial District Public Defender Office (a.k.a. “the Third”) celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Third was one of two public defender offices opened in Kansas in 1972 – the state's first two public defender offices.
BIDS Well-Being Survey Summary
by Emily Barclay, Senior Assistant Capital Defender
The 2022 BIDS Well-Being Survey results are in, and as always, yielded helpful information for the agency.
The BIDS Well-Being Committee sent a survey link to every employee in the agency in mid-July. There were 28 questions, which were directed at well-being and retention issues. The questions were answered by employees anonymously, and there was a decent participation rate – 115 responses, including 65 attorneys, 15 investigators, and 35 other support staff.
Two Important SCOTUS Decisions for Public Defenders
by Sarah Sweet-McKinnon, Reno County Chief Public Defender, and Jason Smartt, Reno County Lead Assistant Public Defender
Any lawyer could be excused for being overwhelmed by the decisions coming from the United States Supreme Court in late June 2022. But in addition to many other cases that made headlines, June also featured two SCOTUS decisions that are particularly worth reading for public defenders.