William Burke was arrested Tuesday morning under suspicion of domestic battery, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, kidnapping and criminal threat after a report was made Monday night to the Lawrence Police Department.  The District Attorney’s office was briefed Wednesday morning by law enforcement investigators, who provided the currently available reports in this case.  Because of the ongoing investigation it was determined additional information was necessary before criminal charges could be considered.   The District Attorney’s office will make a charging decisio

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announces Lawrence resident Edward J. Parker, 25, was sentenced today in the Division Six courtroom of the Honorable Peggy C. Kittel to 216 months in prison for his January 9 no contest plea to attempted second degree murder.  The Court also ordered $123,167.55 in restitution be paid for the victim’s medical expenses and ordered upon his eventual release from prison that he must register as a violent offender for 15 years. 

With the measles outbreak occurring in various states across the country, the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department will host four community clinics around the county for people who want to receive the measles vaccine.

Four Clinics Hosted Around the County

The clinics will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.:

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson warned residents to continue to be on guard of check, sweepstakes and work at home scams. 

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announced today Topeka resident Robert Lee Davis, 39, plead guilty to aggravated burglary and theft in Douglas County District Court.  The crimes were committed in October 2013. 

The Board of County Commissioners of Douglas County, through the Public Works Department, is making available a "user fee" dust palliative program to interested county residents.  The program consists of applying liquid calcium chloride or magnesium chloride to rock roads typically in front of houses in an effort to reduce dust created by vehicles.

Effective January 5, 2015, all licensed attorneys are required to utilize the Kansas Courts Electronic Filing System when filing all new cases or documents within existing cases with the Douglas County District Court.  To assist attorneys with their e-filing inquiries, the court has created an page dedicated to e-filing on the county's website.  The page contains answers to frequently asked questions, troubleshooting information and related documents, as well as a link to a YouTube training video on electronic filing. 

District Attorney Charles Branson advised that yesterday District Court Judge Kay Huff sentenced Julian Kuszmaul, 24, in the August 26, 2012 case where Mr. Kuszmaul while driving under the influence caused a car crash that crushed the legs of victim Colby Liston. After Mr. Kuszmaul waived his right to a jury trial, a bench trial was held on December 10, 2014; Judge Huff announced the trial verdict on December 18.  The Court found Mr.

The new County Commission meeting times will be as follows: 4:00 p.m. (same) for administrative items and 6:00 p.m. (new) for public interest items.

The County Commission meets on Wednesdays in the County Commission chamber of the County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts Street, Lawrence, Kansas 66044. Our meetings are open to the public.

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson announces Eudora resident Brittany N. Smith, 21, was sentenced today in the Division Six courtroom of the Honorable Peggy C. Kittel to 100 months in prison for her October 24, 2014 guilty plea to conspiracy to commit first degree murder. The Court also ordered $121,541.75 in restitution be paid for the victim’s medical expenses and ordered upon her eventual release from prison that she must register as a violent offender for 15 years. In a separate case, Ms.

Douglas County Kansas is currently featuring two wonderful local artists with the 2015 Local Artist Series at the County Courthouse.

Artist Tom Mersmann’s photography will be on display from January 1 - 20 on the first floor, and Artist Don Stevanov’s photography will be on display during January, February and March on the 2nd floor. The County Courthouse is located at 1100 Massachusetts in beautiful downtown Lawrence, Kansas.

For more information on becoming a featured artist, please feel free to contact us at pgilchrist@dgcoks.gov.

Emergency Management would like to introduce you to Timmy, our Preparedness Elf on a Shelf. He's on a mission to help you get prepared for the winter weather season. A tip from Timmy will be posted daily on DCEM's Facebook and Twitter accounts. Join us at any time and feel free to share your winter weather preparedness tips! You can also visit the 25 Days of Preparedness With Timmy Page for the latest tips.