The Kansas Supreme Court has an active docket next week.
The high court has 18 cases before it Monday, including a petition for review in the Lyon County case of State v. Shelbie Ellis dating back to January 2018. Court documents say Emporia Police were called to a convenience store bathroom to check on Ellis’ welfare after she had not left the facility for 45 minutes. As she responded, officers asked for her driver’s license and one noticed her hand shaking. Ellis denied using drugs, but she told authorities she had methamphetamine in her purse shortly after dispatchers said Ellis had an outstanding warrant in Rice County.
During the proceedings that followed in district court, district court denied a defense motion to suppress the drug evidence and rejected an argument the search went beyond the scope of the welfare check.
Ellis appealed the conviction and the Court of Appeals sided with her, saying Ellis’ state and federal constitutional rights were violated when district court ruled against suppressing the drug evidence.
All the Supreme Court’s cases next week are on the summary calendar, where there are no new questions of law and oral arguments are neither helpful to the court nor essential to a fair hearing in the case.
