Kansas Court of Appeals to Hold Oral Arguments at Garden City Community College
[Garden City, KS] March 31, 2026 -- Garden City Community College will host the Kansas Court of Appeals on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, as part of the court’s ongoing effort to bring the judicial process to communities across the state.
A three-judge panel will hear oral arguments in two cases beginning at 9:30 a.m. in the Pauline Joyce Fine Arts Building, KCB Bank Auditorium, located at 801 Campus Drive. The event is free and open to the public and students.
The 14-member Kansas Court of Appeals is our state's intermediate appellate court. The court's jurisdiction, which is established by statute, includes criminal, civil, and administrative cases. The Court of Appeals normally sits in three-judge panels and travels to locations throughout the state.
Each panel reviews decisions from lower courts to evaluate whether mistakes were made that would require a new trial. Panels read briefs submitted by the parties and examine a record of what happened in the lower court. If they think it would be helpful, the judges have the parties present oral arguments so they can ask questions.
After reviewing case materials, and possibly hearing oral arguments, the judges research case law and statutes before writing decisions that explain how the panel reached its conclusion. All Court of Appeals decisions are subject to review by the Kansas Supreme Court.
Judge Rachel Pickering will serve as the presiding judge for the docket at Garden City Community College, Garden City. She will be joined by Judge Lesley Ann Isherwood and District Judge Andrew Stein, 16th Judicial District, which is composed of Clark, Comanche, Ford, Gray, Kiowa, and Meade counties. Stein joins the panel through a special appointment.
The two cases are outlined below:
Appeal No. 127,753: State of Kansas v. Todd C. Hublein
Reno County: (Criminal Appeal) Hublein and "Sally" had a romantic relationship that ended in 2022. Hublein left their shared home at that time, and Sally received a temporary protection from stalking order. There were repeated claims that Hublein was violating the order, and he was eventually charged with four counts of stalking and several counts of violating a protective order. He was convicted after a jury trial. On appeal, Hublein raises many issues including whether the district court erred by including a prior stalking conviction in his criminal history score, whether law enforcement violated his right to counsel, whether allowing testimony by Zoom violated his constitutional rights, and whether his Fourth Amendment rights were violated when law enforcement searched his phone without consent.
Appeal No. 128,136: In the Matter of the Estate of John J. Keenan, Deceased
Stafford County: (Probate) John and Bernadine Keenan raised four children while working on a farm. The children understood that John and Bernadine's land would pass to them eventually. John and Bernadine drafted a will in 1995 that did exactly this. Bernadine died in 2000. By that time, none of the children were working on the farm. John continued to farm his current land and acquire new parcels. John married Marie in 2005. After the marriage, there were a series of will amendments and quit claim deeds affecting both Marie and the children. John was diagnosed with dementia in 2015. In June of that year, he filed a will which left the majority of his estate to Marie while also revoking their prenuptial agreement. John died in 2020. After his death, the children claimed the June 2015 will was a product of Marie's undue influence over John. The district court disagreed and found the will was valid. The children appealed, arguing the district court's findings about the validity of the will were incorrect.
At the conclusion of oral arguments, the judges will talk and answer questions from students and the public about the Court of Appeals and the appeals process.
The visit offers a unique educational opportunity for Garden City Community College students and the surrounding community to observe the legal system in action and gain a deeper understanding of how appellate courts operate.
Learn more online at: https://kscourts.gov/court-of-appeals/travel-docket.
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