Three run for open judge position on Wyandotte County District Court

Appearing at a candidate forum for Wyandotte County District Court judges on July 18 at Kansas City Kansas Community College were, left to right, Jane Sieve Wilson, Mike Nichols and Tony Martinez. (Staff photo)

Three candidates, Tony Martinez, Mike Nichols and Jane Sieve Wilson, are running for the open seat, position 5, on the Wyandotte County District Court.

The three are Democrats and the primary on Aug. 7 will decide this election. No Republicans filed.

At a July 18 forum at Kansas City Kansas Community College, sponsored by Business West and KCKCC, the candidates emphasized their years of experience in practicing law and discussed issues such as minority representation on the district court.

Tony Martinez

Martinez said there were currently no Hispanic judges on the district court, even though the population here is about one-third Hispanic. He said he worked his way through law school, and he could serve as a role model for youth here. He talked about his 27 years of practicing law and his wide experience in handling many different types of cases. Martinez said in an earlier story that he has always worked to help individuals, not corporations.

Mike Nichols

Mike Nichols also talked about his experience, including three years of prosecuting criminal cases in the district attorney’s office and about seven years of experience in private practice. He has served as a judge pro tem. He is a member of the Wyandotte County Juvenile Corrections Advisory Board, and has worked with criminal, divorce, child custody, juvenile, probate and guardianship cases.

Jane Sieve Wilson

Sieve Wilson told the audience at the forum that she has the correct judicial temperament, and she had experience in many areas of the law that would help at the district court judge level. Much of her work in the past has focused on civil litigation. She has been a judge pro tem. She has served as the legal adviser for the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department. Wilson, a past president of the Wyandotte County Bar Association, has degrees in accounting and law. Her father is a past judge of the Wyandotte County District Court.

This forum is being shown on cable television at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day through Aug. 6 on Spectrum Channel 17 and Google TV Channel 146. Remaining times are at 7 p.m. Aug. 5, at 10 a.m. Aug. 6 and at 7 p.m. Aug. 6.

More information about the judicial candidates is available in these earlier stories:

https://wyandotteonline.com/wilson-runs-for-wyandotte-county-district-court-judge-division-5/

https://wyandotteonline.com/nichols-runs-for-district-court-judge/

https://wyandotteonline.com/martinez-emphasizes-experience-and-diversity-in-his-campaign-for-judge/

See other election stories under the “Election 2018” tab at https://wyandotteonline.com/category/election-2018/.