Dear Editor,
I read with interest the article by Dale Hogg regarding the judicial performance website for information about the judges who are on the ballot for retention. I would ask that if you find the website informative, you contact your legislators and encourage them to restore funding for the program.
The Commission on Judicial Performance, of which I am a member, was implemented by the Kansas legislature to evaluate judges in the state.  Until funding was discontinued in 2011, the Commission conducted surveys of persons who had been involved with each judge and tabulated the results. The Commission then made a recommendation to the public whether the judge should be retained or not retained on the bench. The Commission evaluated judges across the state including magistrate judges, district judges, Court of Appeals judges and Supreme Court justices.
Some Kansas judicial districts elect their judges while others use a merit selection process (judges are selected for appointment by a non-partisan committee and then stand for retention elections). The Commission on Judicial Performance is not permitted to report information about elected judges but the information is used by those judges to improve their performance. As part of the 20th Judicial District, Barton County elects its judges, so survey results for Barton County judges are not listed on the website.
The Commission has performed a valuable service to Kansas voters in providing information about how Kansas judges are performing, and we remain committed to continuing the judicial evaluation process should the legislature choose to fund the program again in the future.
Mary Lou Warren