KS Supreme Court justice to retire after ALS diagnosis. Gov. Kelly will name replacement
Kansas Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Wilson will resign her seat on July 4 after being diagnosed with ALS.
Wilson submitted a letter of resignation Monday to Gov. Laura Kelly, who appointed her to the state’s high court in 2019.
It will be Kelly, a Democrat, who picks a successor for Wilson from a list of three candidates provided by the Supreme Court nominating commission. That replacement will take place before Kansans have an opportunity to vote next August on the Republican-backed constitutional amendment proposal calling for direct popular election of Supreme Court justices.
“My tenure as a Supreme Court justice has been a rare gift, and I know it,” Wilson wrote in her resignation letter. “It has been my honor and privilege to serve with other justices who have demonstrated utmost integrity, hard work, and legal prowess under circumstances both extreme and mundane.”
Wilson said her diagnosis of the progressive neurodegenerative condition commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease has impeded her ability to serve.
“The disease has now affected me to the point that my ability to perform my position as Justice of the Kansas Supreme Court is no longer at the level of excellence sufficient to suit me,” Wilson wrote, noting that she plans to take the next few months to finish “some important projects” she’s already started.
Wilson was appointed to the Supreme Court after serving as a Shawnee County judge for 15 years.
“Justice Wilson is both a valued work colleague and a dear friend,” Chief Justice Marla Luckert said in a court release. “She is an outstanding person and jurist who demonstrates daily what it means to be fair and impartial through her demeanor, her words, and her deeds. My high esteem for her has risen to new heights as I’ve observed her courage facing her health challenges. We will miss her presence on our court, but we understand and support her decision to focus on her health.”
In her resignation letter, Wilson alluded to the merit-based selection process that will be used to identify and appoint her replacement to the seven-member court.
“I know from experience the Supreme Court Nominating Commission, and the KBI, will investigate any applicant for my position as thoroughly and vigorously as they investigated me. And so will you,” Wilson wrote.
“I know the one person who ultimately survives this focused examination will be exceptionally qualified to succeed me. That gives me great comfort because this job is as extremely and unrelentingly difficult as it is rewarding.”
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 3:50 PM.
