§ 38-2309 — Court records; disclosure; preservation of records

Kansas § 38-2309

• Jurisdiction: Kansas
• Ch. 38: MINORS
• Art. 23: REVISED KANSAS JUVENILE JUSTICE CODE

Text

(a) Official file. The official file of proceedings pursuant to this code shall consist of the complaint, process, service of process, orders, writs and journal entries reflecting hearings held, judgments and decrees entered by the court. The official file shall be kept separate from other records of the court.
(b) The official file shall be open for public inspection, unless the judge determines that opening the official file for public inspection is not in the best interests of a juvenile who is less than 14 years of age. Information identifying victims and alleged victims of sex offenses, as defined in article 35 of chapter 21 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, prior to their repeal, or article 55 of chapter 21 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, or K.S.A. 21-6419 through 21-6422, and amendments thereto, or human trafficking or aggravated human trafficking, as defined in K.S.A. 21-3446 or 21-3447, prior to their repeal, or K.S.A. 21-5426, and amendments thereto, shall not be disclosed or open to public inspection under any circumstances. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the victim or alleged victim of any sex offense from voluntarily disclosing such victim's identity. An official file closed pursuant to this section and information identifying the victim or alleged victim of any sex offense shall be disclosed only to the following:
(1) A judge of the district court and members of the staff of the court designated by the judge;
(2) parties to the proceedings and their attorneys;
(3) any individual or any public or private agency or institution: (A) Having custody of the juvenile under court order; or (B) providing educational, medical or mental health services to the juvenile;
(4) the juvenile's court appointed special advocate;
(5) any placement provider or potential placement provider as determined by the commissioner or court services officer;
(6) law enforcement officers or county or district attorneys, or their staff, when necessary for the discharge of their official duties;
(7) the Kansas racing and gaming commission, upon written request of the commission chairperson, for the purpose provided by K.S.A. 74-8804, and amendments thereto, except that information identifying the victim or alleged victim of any sex offense shall not be disclosed pursuant to this subsection;
(8) juvenile intake and assessment workers;
(9) the secretary of corrections;
(10) the office of the child advocate pursuant to the child advocate act; and
(11) any other person when authorized by a court order, subject to any conditions imposed by the order.
(c) Social file. (1) Reports and information received by the court, other than the official file, shall be privileged and open to inspection only by the following:
(A) Attorneys for the parties;
(B) juvenile intake and assessment workers;
(C) court-appointed special advocates;
(D) juvenile community corrections officers;
(E) the juvenile's guardian ad litem, if any;
(F) the office of the child advocate pursuant to the child advocate act; or
(G) any other person when authorized by the order of a judge of the district court or appellate court.
(2) The reports shall not be further disclosed without approval of the court or by being presented as admissible evidence.
(d) Preservation of records. The Kansas state historical society shall be allowed to take possession for preservation in the state archives of any court records related to proceedings under the Kansas juvenile justice code or the revised Kansas juvenile justice code whenever such records otherwise would be destroyed. The Kansas state historical society shall make available for public inspection any unexpunged docket entry or official file in its custody concerning any juvenile 14 or more years of age at the time an offense is alleged to have been committed by the juvenile. No other such records in the custody of the Kansas state historical society shall be disclosed directly or indirectly to anyone for 70 years after creation of the records, except as provided in subsections (b) and (c). A judge of the district court may allow inspection for research purposes of any court records in the custody of the Kansas state historical society related to proceedings under the Kansas juvenile justice code or the revised Kansas juvenile justice code.
(e) Relevant information, reports and records, shall be made available to the department of corrections upon request, and a showing that the former juvenile has been convicted of a crime and placed in the custody of the secretary of corrections.

Legislative History

L. 2006, ch. 169, § 9; L. 2008, ch. 145, § 8; L. 2010, ch. 112, § 4; L. 2011, ch. 30, § 160; L. 2015, ch. 94, § 14; L. 2024, ch. 73, § 10; July 1.