KC Municipal Court Judge Leonard Hughes III is resigning

Kansas City Municipal Court Judge Leonard Hughes III said Sunday that he’s resigning from the court.

Hughes, 61, has served as a judge since the late 1970s. He said he’s leaving the bench because he wants to run for president of Freedom Inc., the central city political group. “They’re moving too slow for me,” he told The Star.

But it wasn’t immediately clear how Hughes could become president of Freedom. A spokesman for the group said no elections are scheduled, and when asked about the procedure for becoming the group’s president, Hughes said, “There is no process.”

Hughes said it would not be appropriate to serve as a judge and as president of a political organization, so he’s stepping down.

Hughes said he is also concerned about old allegations that Municipal Court Judge Elena Franco is not a resident of Kansas City. In 2011 city investigators alleged Franco actually lived outside the city limits, but a judicial commission rejected the claim.

On Sunday, Hughes said that decision was a contributing factor in his decision to quit.

Hughes said he will submit the resignation Tuesday, to become effective Sept. 29. With accrued vacation time, he said, he plans to hear no more city cases.

This story was originally published August 31, 2014 at 7:07 PM with the headline "KC Municipal Court Judge Leonard Hughes III is resigning."