Caleb Stegall to take seat on Kansas Supreme Court in December

Gov. Sam Brownback’s first appointee to the Kansas Supreme Court, Caleb Stegall, will be sworn in as a justice Dec. 5.

Stegall, who previously served as the governor’s chief counsel, was selected to replace outgoing Justice Nancy Moritz, who left the court in July for a position on a federal appeals court.

“It will be a tremendous honor to take a place on the bench alongside my new colleagues on the Kansas Supreme Court,” Stegall said in a statement. “I look forward to getting to work.”

Stegall now sits on the Kansas Court of Appeals, to which he also was appointed by Brownback. He will spend the next few weeks completing his work on pending cases.

The governor’s selection of Stegall drew criticism from Democrats who accused Brownback of rewarding a political ally. Brownback defended the appointment in the governor’s debate at the Kansas State Fair last week and said Stegall, a former prosecutor, would bring a needed perspective to the court on death penalty cases.

This story was originally published September 12, 2014 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Caleb Stegall to take seat on Kansas Supreme Court in December."