EXTRA, EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT WHAT THE MORNING SUN AND REPORTER PATRICK

RICHARDSON* WON’T REPORT IN THE LOCAL PITTSBURG PAPER ABOUT THE RECENTLY RETIRED
LOCAL CHIEF JUDGE OF THE 11TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT A.J. WACHTER!!!!!!

*Patrick Richardson is the managing editor of the Pittsburg Morning Sun. He can be emailed at
prichardson@morningsun.net, or follow him on Twitter @PittEditor.

Chief judge A.J. Wachter recently RESIGNED prior to November 1, 2017 as evidenced by the
Cherokee County Newspaper in Columbus Kansas which wrote the newspaper article BEFORE
the Pittsburg morning sun wrote anything at all. Reporter Patrick Richardson of the morning
sun wrote nothing at all about the resignation of chief judge A.J. Wachter until Thomas Walters
wrote a letter to Mr. Richardson on the date of November 18, 2017 and informed the morning
sun that there were three docketed ethic complaints filed with the State of Kansas Commission
on Judicial Qualifications in docket numbers 1331, 1332, and 1334, In the Matter of A.J.
Wachter. Mr. Walters included the evidence from the ethic complaints which the committee
met on October 6, 2017 and sent a letter back to the complainants. The letters from the
committee were sent on August 13, 2017 and stated the following:

“The Commission met October 6, 2017, at which time the above-captioned complaint
was considered. It was the decision of the Commission to issue a private order of cease and
desist regarding delay. The Commission’s findings and conclusions are proposed findings and
conclusions. Judge Wachter, in accordance with Supreme Court Rule 611, has 20 days after
service of the order to either accept or refuse the order. If accepted, they become the
Commission’s findings and conclusions. If rejected, they will have no effect and a Notice of
Formal Proceedings will be filed.”

Within two (2) days of news reporter Patrick Richardson receiving the letter from Mr. Walters
where Mr. Walters wanted the Crawford County community to see that A.J. Wachter resigned
due to the fact that he received a PRIVATE CEASE AND DESIST ORDER because according to the
ethic committee’s 2015 ANNUAL REPORTS it states that “a CEASE AND DESIST ORDER may be
issued when the panel finds factually undisputed violations of the Code which represent a
continuing course of conduct. The judge must agree to comply by accepting the order, or
formal proceedings will be instituted.”

Instead of writing in the newspaper that Chief Judge A.J. Wachter recently resigned after he
violated the code of judicial conduct and instead wrote on the date of Nov 21, 2017 that Chief
Judge A.J. recently retired after fifteen (15) years and wrote about all of Mr. Wachter’s
achievements instead of the fact that he violated the code of judicial conduct and resigned!
Mr. Richardson also didn’t do any research because A.J. Wachter has been a judge for only
fourteen (14) years not (15)!

A good friend of Mr. Walters, Kasey King called up to the morning sun the day before Mr.
Richardson wrote the article about judge Wachter retiring in the morning sun because Mr.
Richardson had called Mr. Walters and the State of Kansas Commission on Judicial
Qualifications to find out what a (CEASE AND DESIST ORDER) was. Mr. King called to inform Mr.
Richardson that a cease and desist was an undisputed violation of the code of judicial conduct
and had the annual report of 2015 to show him. Mr. Richardson said that “I really don’t think a
(DELAY) was important enough to put in the newspaper to kick a man when he’s down on the
way out”.

Mr. King replied that “it has never stopped the morning sun from printing the arrests of people
in the newspaper no matter if they get convicted or not and if the people get dismissed from
their case, the morning sun never writes a follow up and informs the public of that.” Mr.
Richardson replied and stated that “I’ve sent a KORA request to the courthouse but they have
sixty (60) days to respond and by then the story won’t matter”.

On November 28, 2017 Mr. Thomas Walters received a letter from the State of Kansas
Commission on Judicial Qualifications which stated the following:

Re: Docket No. 1332, In the Matter of A.J. Wachter

Dear Mr. Walters:

Pursuant to my letter to you dated November 13, 2017, it was the Commission’s
decision on October 6, 2017, to issue a private order of cease and desist regarding delay.
Please be advised Judge Wachter accepted the Commission’s order and same was filed on
November 27, 2017.

The Commission’s file is now closed in this matter.

Cordially,

Douglas T. Shima

Secretary

Mr. Walters two (2) letters from the commission have been included with the letters from the
complaints from Mr. Fred Grable, and Ms. Julie Stover-King who also received a cease and
desist order regarding delay on the former chief judge of the 11 th district A.J. Wachter.
Also included is a copy of the cover of the 2015 COMMISSION ON JUDICIAL QUALIFICATIONS
ANNUAL REPORT along with the page that show what happens to (DISPOSITION OF DOCKETED
COMPLAINTS) which says under (Disposition of Docketed Complaints) “that a letter of informal
advice may be issued if the investigation did not disclose an ethical violation but future
direction would be beneficial to the judge. A letter of caution may be issued if the investigation
disclosed an ethical violation which was too minor to warrant further proceedings. The
committee then states that “a cease and desist order may be issued when the panel finds
factually undisputed violations of the Code which represent a continuing course of conduct.
The judge must agree to comply by accepting the order, or formal proceedings will be
instituted”!!

Also included from the 2015 Annual Report is (Appendix B) which shows the complaint statistics
for the years of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. It shows that in 2011 there were 217
complaints received a only one (1) judge received a private cease and desist. It shows that in
2012 there were 197 complaints and two (2) judges received a private cease and desist. It
shows that in 2013 there were 183 complaints and only three (3) judges received a private
cease and desist. It shows that in 2014 there were 221 complaints and zero (0) judges received
a private cease and desist. It shows that in 2015 there were 484 complaints and three (3)
judges received a private cease and desist.

There are a total of 514 judges in Kansas and the above statistics shows how many ethic
complaints get filed with the State of Kansas on judges and how rare it is to complain on a judge
and receive an (UNDISPUTED VIOLATION OF THE CODE OF JUDICIAL CONDUCT AND THE JUDGE
RECEIVE A PRIVATE CEASE AND DESIST ORDER). On average it shows that 3 percent of judges in
Kansas receive a private order of cease and desist.

CONGRATULATIONS TO FORMER CHIEF JUDGE A.J. WACHTER FOR RECEIVING THE HONOR OF A
PRIVATE CEASE AND DESIST SINCE ONLY 3PERCENT OF JUDGES RECEIVE THEM IN A YEAR AND
IN 2017 IT WAS A.J. WACHTER WHO ACCEPTED THIS PRESTIGIOUS ORDER!!!!!!!

Also included from the 2015 Annual Report is a copy of the page on (FORMAL PROCEEDINGS)
and what could have happened if former Chief judge of the 11 th district A.J. Wachter would
have chose to not accept the order of Private Cease and Desist which says the following:

“During the investigation stage prior to the filing of the notice of formal proceedings,
the judge is advised by letter that an investigation is underway. The judge then has the
opportunity to present information to the examiner. Rule 609” “If a panel institutes formal
proceedings, specific charges stated in ordinary and concise language are submitted to the
judge. The judge has an opportunity to answer and a hearing date is set. Rule 611(b); Rule 613.
The hearing on that notice of formal proceedings is conducted by the other panel, which has no
knowledge of the investigation of prior deliberations. It also says that “If the panel finds the
charges proven, it can admonish the judge, issue an order of cease and desist, or recommend
to the Supreme Court the discipline or compulsory retirement of the judge. Discipline means
public censure, suspension, or removal from office. Rule 620. It also says that “the panel is
required in all proceedings resulting in a recommendation to the Supreme Court for discipline
or compulsory retirement to make written findings of fact, conclusions of law, and
recommendations which shall be filed and docketed by the Clerk of the Supreme Court as a
case.

If you look at the letters dated November 13, 2017 from the State of Kansas Commission on
Judicial Qualifications Secretary Douglas T. Shima you will notice that the committee says that
“The Commission’s findings and conclusions are proposed findings and conclusions.”

It seems that since former chief judge A.J. Wachter received a written finding and conclusion
from his private cease and desist order and accepted it that he received compulsory retirement
of the judge and that looks to be the reason he resigned prior to November 1, 2017 but is
officially retiring in December of 2017.

Morning Sun news reporter Patrick Richardson claims he made a phone call to former chief
judge A.J. Wachter to ask why he resigned but Mr. Richardson informed Mr. Kasey King that A.J.
Wachter had not called him back for Mr. Wachter’s side of the story of his retirement.

Please enjoy reading the complaints that were filed by Mr. Walters, Mr. Grable, and Ms. Stover-
King that helped lead to the resignation of former chief judge A.J. Wachter in accordance with
Kansas Supreme Court Rule 607(c) under Confidentiality where it says “The rule of
confidentiality does not apply to the complainant or to the respondent. See Rule 607 (c).”

Rule 607 (c) is why a PRIVATE CEASE AND DESIST can become a PUBLIC CEASE AND DESIST!!!!!!!

Click (or copy and paste) on the link below to read about the felony conviction of former chief
judge A.J. Wachter’s son Brian Wachter which was printed in the Kansas City Star but not the
Pittsburg Morning Sun where his father was the chief judge of the 11 th district at the time.

http://fox4kc.com/2016/06/23/kansas-city-man-charged-with-threatening-overland-parks-
beth-shalom-jewish-congregation/

POSTED 4:30 PM, JUNE 23, 2016, BY MICHELLE PEKARSKY AND MELISSA STERN, UPDATED AT
06:59PM, JUNE 23, 2016
From the above SOURCE link (please visit and support the website too) it reported that:
OLATHE, Kan. -- A Kansas City man made an appearance in Johnson County Court on Thursday,
charged with making a criminal threat against Beth Shalom, a Jewish congregation in Overland
Park.

FOX 4 was first to report the threat made on May 31 and the extra precautions that followed.
Brian Wachter, 40, was arrested on June 22 and on Thursday, appeared before a judge via
video conference, accused of threatening violence against Beth Shalom, 14200 Lamar Ave., and
four people on the Jewish Community Campus.

The Johnson County District Attorney's office charges Wachter with violating Kansas Statute 21-
5415a by allegedly making the threat to "commit violence communicated with intent to place
another in fear, or to cause the evacuation, lock down or disruption in regular, ongoing
activities of any building, place of assembly or facility of transportation, or in reckless disregard
of the risk of causing such fear or evacuation, lock down or disruption in regular, ongoing
activities." (Kansas Statute 21-5415a)

Blair Hawkins, Director of Security for the Greater Kansas City Jewish community, said the
recent threat against the Jewish Community Center is unrelated to Brian Wachter's arrest.

“I was in the middle of teaching preschool camp, working with a group of toddlers, and the
Rabbi informed me that there had been a security threat and that the building was on lock
down and to just be aware of what was going,” Esty Perman, who works at Chabad preschool
camp, said when FOX 4's Melissa Stern spoke to her on Tuesday, June 14.

Members of the Jewish community say they take any threats very seriously, especially following
recent events around the country and the Jewish Community Campus and Village Shalom
shootings two years ago.

“Whenever something, like the shooting in Orlando, or any terror threats really, whether they
happen locally or somewhere else, there’s nothing we can do about them. We can’t physically
go fight the bad guys. The only thing we can do is increase in goodness and add more light to
the world,” Perman said.

Wachter's bond was set at $25,000 cash or surety and he was ordered to have a mental health
evaluation prior to being released on bond. Look for more on Wachter on FOX 4 newscasts and
fox4kc.com.

After the recent threat, Dr. Helene Lotman, the President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of
Greater Kansas City, sent out a letter online informing the public of the threat. Lotman said the
situation has since been resolved, but emphasized the importance of vigilance and
communication.
Dear Friends,

This morning our Jewish agencies became aware of a potential threat to the broader Kansas
City Jewish community. Working in collaboration with law enforcement officials, immediate
steps were taken by our Director of Community Security to secure our facilities. Law
enforcement has since resolved the situation, and we continue to work with local and national
officials to maintain a safe and secure community.

Our Jewish community facilities remain open with regular security protocols in place, and
normal activities will continue as scheduled. Our No. 1 priority is the safety and security of our
community, and we will continue to communicate with you as needed.
Thank you for your partnership in keeping our community safe—as always, if you see
something of concern, please say something to a security officer or staff member.

Sincerely,

Helene