Judge retiring from Harvey, McPherson courts to help Kansas Court of Appeals

A long-serving judge in Harvey and McPherson counties who is retiring next month has accepted a position as senior judge for the Kansas Court of Appeals.

Richard B. Walker, chief judge for the 9th Judicial District, will end his 31-year tenure as a district court judge Aug. 1, the Kansas Office of Judicial Administration said in a news release. In his new position, Walker will help the Court of Appeals process its cases, the office’s spokeswoman Lisa Taylor said. He had previously been assigned to a similar role for both the appeals court and the Kansas Supreme Court.

Walker was appointed as a district court judge in December 1984 and has been a chief judge for 13 years. He has served on several Supreme Court committees, was a Supreme Court appointee to the Kansas Sentencing Commission and has served as an adviser to the American Law Institute’s Model Penal Code revision project for more than a decade.

Before becoming a judge, Walker practiced law in Newton; served four years on the Kansas Adult Authority, a predecessor to the Kansas Parole Board; and served three terms in the Kansas House of Representatives. He lives in and is a native of Newton.

This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Judge retiring from Harvey, McPherson courts to help Kansas Court of Appeals."