State Courts

A packed courtroom says farewell to Judge Pilshaw

By Ron Sylvester

The cake was decorated to look like law books with a gavel on top. The books carried the dates of Judge Rebecca Pilshaw’s reign on the Sedgwick County District Court bench: 1993-2008.

A courtroom packed with lawyers, fellow judges, police and court staff ate the cake and sipped punch in a farewell reception for Rebecca Pilshaw today, who leaves after this year’s election defeat and a turbulent end to a long career of public service.

“I served 15 years in woman years, and those count for more because we have to work harder for everything,” said Pilshaw, whose departure leaves the Sedgwick County district bench all male.

The five women who ran for judge in this past election were all defeated.

Pilshaw presided over many high-profile cases with a reputation for a boisterous sense of humor and a heavy gavel. Her laugh boomed across the courtroom and she was known for pushing sentencing guidelines to their limits to give the most prison time for the toughest offenders. Pilshaw’s sentencing practices are a reason why reversal rates by appeals courts aren’t always an accurate measure of an elected judge’s worth. Some of the cases she had reversed were for being too tough on crime.

The tough persona also ultimately cost her a seat on the bench, after being reprimanded for losing her temper in court. That toughness also drew criticism from the lawyers who stood before her. Both were issues in the election.

But there was no sign of hard feelings by anyone at today’s reception. There were smiles, hugs and tears. In court, lawyers and judges are used to heated disputes, then walking away friends.

Pilshaw said she plans to return to private practice, where she’ll take cases defending the rights of those accused of crimes.

Full post as published by What the Judge Ate for Breakfast on January 05, 2009 (boomark / email).