Kansas Courts open public access center in Topeka after online services fallout
TOPEKA (KSNT) - The Kansas Courts say a new public access center is now open to the public amid continuing problems associated with a "security incident" reported in October.
Public Information Director Lisa Taylor with the Kansas Courts said in a press release that the center can be found inside the Kansas Judicial Center. This will give people access to district court case information, something which has not been possible since an Oct. 12 security issue led to a massive loss of service for multiple online judicial programs.
Taylor said another service center, which opened on Nov. 6, provides remote support to Kansas district courts. This service center allows data and records to be made available to district courts, providing court schedules, routine reports and documents for use in hearings and court transcripts. This also allows courts to process drivers' license reinstatements and other services.
“Kansas courts statewide have continued to process cases despite their lack of access to the information systems we all rely on,” Chief Justice Marla Luckert said. “Even facing those challenges, we had several district court employees come to Topeka to help us run the information service centers. We are grateful for their support and their commitment to serving the people of Kansans under trying circumstances.”
To find the public access service center, go to the first floor of the Kansas Judicial Center at 301 SW 10th Avenue. Kansas Courts has 10 computer terminals available for guests to use to look up district court case information. Appointments must be made before traveling to the public access service center.
Taylor said visits must be scheduled in 30-minute time slots between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the Kansas Judicial Center's normal hours. Visitors can reserve up to two 30-minute spots per day. Requests to visit the center can be made online by clicking here and are first come first served. Information on how to schedule an appointment, where to park and other details can be found by clicking here.
The security incident initially impacted the following systems:
- Kansas Courts eFiling, which accepts electronically filed documents.
- Kansas Protection Order Portal, which accepts electronically filed documents.
- Kansas District Court Public Access Portal, which allows searching district court case information.
- Appellate Case Inquiry System, which allows searching appellate court case information.
- Kansas Attorney Registration, which allows searching for an attorney by name or bar number.
- Kansas online marriage license application. Persons can still apply, but the application will not be sent to a district court for processing through the efiling system.
- Central Payment Center, which operates in the Office of Judicial Administration, will not be able to process disbursements on behalf of district courts.
- Kansas eCourt case management system, which district courts use to process cases.
As new information became available, it was revealed that some systems with the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) were also impacted by the incident. Reporting from the Associated Press (AP) indicated the possibility that the Kansas Courts experienced a ransomware attack.
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