Judge_VV0 age_NN1 limit_NN1 could_VM be_VBI removed_VVN Reno_NP1 County_NN1 District_NN1 Judge_NN1 Richard_NP1 Rome_NP1 faces_VVZ forced_JJ retirement_NN1 this_DD1 September_NPM1 when_RRQ he_PPHS1 turns_VVZ 75_MC years_NNT2 old_JJ ._. 
Recent_JJ action_NN1 in_II the_AT Senate_NN1 Judiciary_NN1 Committee_NN1 ,_, though_CS ,_, could_VM allow_VVI Rome_NP1 not_XX only_RR to_TO complete_VVI his_APPGE term_NN1 ,_, but_CCB to_TO run_VVI for_IF re-election_NN1 in_II 2010_MC ._. 
Would_VM he_PPHS1 ?_? 
"_" I_PPIS1 do_VD0 n't_XX know_VVI ,_, "_" Rome_NP1 said_VVD Friday_NPD1 ._. 
Rome_NP1 benefited_VVD from_II 2004_MC legislative_JJ action_NN1 hiking_VVG the_AT retirement_NN1 age_NN1 from_II a_AT1 "_" soft_JJ 70_MC ,_, "_" which_DDQ required_VVD a_AT1 judge_NN1 turning_VVG 70_MC to_TO retire_VVI when_RRQ his_APPGE term_NN1 ended_VVD ._. 
To_II a_AT1 "_" hard_JJ 75_MC ._. "_" 
Rome_NP1 ,_, a_AT1 Democrat_NN1 ,_, has_VHZ expressed_VVN a_AT1 desire_NN1 to_TO complete_VVI his_APPGE current_JJ term_NN1 ,_, which_DDQ runs_VVZ until_CS early_RR 2011_MC ._. 
Earlier_RRR this_DD1 year_NNT1 ,_, the_AT Kansas_NP1 House_NN1 passed_VVD legislation_NN1 permitting_VVG judges_NN2 turning_VVG 75_MC to_TO finish_VVI their_APPGE terms_NN2 ._. 
Also_RR ,_, Supreme_JJ Court_NN1 justices_NN2 now_RT under_II a_AT1 tighter_JJR retirement_NN1 age_NN1 cap_NN1 of_IO 70_MC would_VM no_RR21 longer_RR22 be_VBI treated_VVN differently_RR than_CSN other_JJ judges_NN2 ._. 
The_AT Kansas_NP1 Senate_NN1 Judiciary_NN1 Committee_NN1 went_VVD one_MC1 step_NN1 further_RRR this_DD1 week_NNT1 by_II removing_VVG from_II the_AT bill_NN1 any_DD mandatory_JJ retirement_NN1 age_NN1 for_IF all_DB judges_NN2 ._. 
It_PPH1 also_RR tacked_VVD on_II a_AT1 couple_NN1 of_IO non-controversial_JJ judiciary-related_JJ measures_NN2 to_II the_AT bill_NN1 ._. 
Senate_NN1 Judiciary_NN1 Committee_NN1 assistant_NN1 Karen_NP1 Clowers_NP1 said_VVD the_AT bill_NN1 is_VBZ likely_JJ to_TO come_VVI up_RP for_IF a_AT1 vote_NN1 Tuesday_NPD1 in_II the_AT full_JJ Senate_NN1 ._. 
If_CS it_PPH1 passes_VVZ ,_, House_NN1 members_NN2 will_VM be_VBI asked_VVN if_CS they_PPHS2 concur_VV0 with_IW the_AT Senate_NN1 's_GE version_NN1 of_IO the_AT bill_NN1 ._. 
If_CS the_AT House_NN1 concurs_VVZ ,_, the_AT bill_NN1 will_VM advance_VVI to_II the_AT governor_NN1 's_GE desk_NN1 for_IF signing_NN1 ,_, Clowers_NP1 said_VVD ._. 
If_CS the_AT House_NN1 does_VDZ n't_XX concur_VVI ,_, the_AT matter_NN1 will_VM go_VVI to_II a_AT1 conference_NN1 committee_NN1 ._. 
Personally_RR ,_, Rome_NP1 doubts_VVZ the_AT Senate_NN1 version_NN1 of_IO the_AT bill_NN1 will_VM pass_VVI the_AT House_NN1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 thinks_VVZ the_AT House_NN1 will_VM prefer_VVI the_AT "_" soft_JJ 75_MC "_" age_NN1 limit_VV0 that_DD1 was_VBDZ in_II the_AT original_JJ House_NN1 bill_NN1 ._. 
Two_MC Republican_JJ Hutchinson_NN1 attorneys_NN2 serving_VVG in_II the_AT Legislature_NN1 ,_, Speaker_NN1 of_IO the_AT House_NN1 Mike_NP1 O'Neal_NP1 and_CC State_NP1 Sen._NNA Terry_NP1 Bruce_NP1 ,_, have_VH0 taken_VVN a_AT1 leading_JJ role_NN1 to_TO remove_VVI the_AT existing_JJ "_" hard_RR 75_MC "_" cap_NN1 ._. 
O'Neal_NP1 and_CC Bruce_NP1 testified_VVD before_II the_AT House_NN1 and_CC Senate_NN1 judiciary_NN1 committees_NN2 ._. 
In_II a_AT1 separate_JJ matter_NN1 ,_, O'Neal_NP1 ,_, a_AT1 partner_NN1 in_II the_AT Gilliland_NP1 and_CC Hayes_NP1 law_NN1 firm_NN1 ,_, is_VBZ the_AT lead_NN1 attorney_NN1 on_II a_AT1 medical_JJ malpractice_NN1 case_NN1 pending_II before_II Rome_NP1 ._. 
Another_DD1 Gilliland_NN1 and_CC Hayes_NP1 attorney_NN1 ,_, Shannon_NP1 Holmberg_NP1 ,_, also_RR is_VBZ assigned_VVN to_II the_AT case_NN1 ._. 
Gilliland_NN1 and_CC Hayes_NP1 is_VBZ representing_VVG Dr._NNB Lee_NP1 Dorey_NP1 ,_, one_MC1 of_IO the_AT defendants_NN2 ._. 
The_AT plaintiff_NN1 is_VBZ seeking_VVG $650,000_NNU in_II damages_NN2 ,_, according_II21 to_II22 a_AT1 July_NPM1 2008_MC court_NN1 filing_NN1 ._. 
Rome_NP1 said_VVD the_AT question_NN1 of_IO whether_CSW there_EX is_VBZ a_AT1 conflict_NN1 of_IO interest_NN1 that_CST might_VM involve_VVI him_PPHO1 has_VHZ not_XX been_VBN raised_VVN ._. 
Lawrence_NP1 attorney_NN1 Jerry_NP1 Levy_NP1 ,_, representing_VVG the_AT plaintiff_NN1 in_II the_AT medical_JJ malpractice_NN1 case_NN1 ,_, expressed_VVD no_AT objections_NN2 to_II O'Neal_NP1 's_GE legislative_JJ role_NN1 or_CC the_AT legislation_NN1 ._. 
Levy_VV0 also_RR volunteered_VVN that_CST he_PPHS1 liked_VVD Rome_NP1 ._. 
The_AT question_NN1 of_IO a_AT1 possible_JJ conflict_NN1 of_IO interest_NN1 for_IF O'Neal_NP1 would_VM n't_XX fall_VVI under_II the_AT Kansas_NP1 Governmental_JJ Ethics_NN Commission_NN1 's_GE purview_NN1 ,_, according_II21 to_II22 executive_NN1 director_NN1 Carol_NP1 Williams_NP1 ._. 
Senate_NN1 Judiciary_NN1 Committee_NN1 member_NN1 Sen._NNB Laura_NP1 Kelly_NP1 ,_, D-Topeka_NP1 ,_, was_VBDZ unaware_JJ Friday_NPD1 about_II O'Neal_NP1 's_GE case_NN1 before_II a_AT1 judge_NN1 on_II the_AT verge_NN1 of_IO turning_VVG 75_MC years_NNT2 old_JJ ._. 
Kelly_NP1 said_VVD she_PPHS1 thought_VVD it_PPH1 was_VBDZ "_" always_RR best_RRT to_TO fully_RR disclose_VVI any_DD personal_JJ connection_NN1 that_CST you_PPY might_VM have_VHI with_IW a_AT1 piece_NN1 of_IO legislation_NN1 ._. "_" 
"_" You_PPY can_VM just_RR say_VVI ,_, 'In_NN1 the_AT interest_NN1 of_IO full_JJ disclosure_NN1 ,_, I_PPIS1 need_VV0 to_TO let_VVI you_PPY all_DB know_VVI this_DD1 ,_, '_GE "_" Kelly_NP1 said_VVD ._. 
Legislative_JJ Administrative_JJ Services_NN2 director_NN1 Jeff_NP1 Russell_NP1 said_VVD there_EX is_VBZ no_AT governance_NN1 or_CC oversight_VV0 for_IF such_DA a_AT1 situation_NN1 ._. 
Disclosure_NN1 ,_, he_PPHS1 said_VVD ,_, is_VBZ an_AT1 individual_JJ legislator_NN1 's_GE decision_NN1 ._. 
O'Neal_NP1 was_VBDZ puzzled_JJ by_II questions_NN2 about_II his_APPGE legislative_JJ role_NN1 advocating_VVG raising_VVG the_AT age_NN1 cap_NN1 for_IF judges_NN2 ,_, which_DDQ would_VM affect_VVI the_AT future_NN1 for_IF a_AT1 judge_NN1 he_PPHS1 appears_VVZ before_RT as_CSA an_AT1 attorney_NN1 ._. 
"_" That_DD1 's_VBZ like_II supporting_JJ legislation_NN1 to_TO increase_VVI judges_NN2 '_GE salary_NN1 like_CS we_PPIS2 did_VDD two_MC or_CC three_MC years_NNT2 ago_RA ._. 
That_DD1 affects_VVZ every_AT1 judge_NN1 in_II the_AT state_NN1 ,_, including_II the_AT judges_NN2 you_PPY appear_VV0 before_RT ,_, "_" O'Neal_NP1 said_VVD ._. 
"_" I_PPIS1 get_VV0 asked_VVN by_II judges_NN2 to_TO introduce_VVI legislation_NN1 all_DB the_AT time_NNT1 ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 said_VVD ._. 
A_AT1 judge_NN1 has_VHZ an_AT1 obligation_NN1 to_TO recuse_VVI himself_PPX1 if_CS he_PPHS1 feels_VVZ he_PPHS1 can_VM not_XX be_VBI fair_JJ and_CC impartial_JJ ,_, O'Neal_NP1 said_VVD ,_, or_CC ,_, if_CS a_AT1 party_NN1 feels_VVZ a_AT1 judge_NN1 is_VBZ biased_JJ ,_, it_PPH1 has_VHZ the_AT right_NN1 to_TO ask_VVI the_AT judge_NN1 to_TO recuse_VVI himself_PPX1 ._. 
"_" Juries_NN2 decide_VV0 cases_NN2 ,_, not_XX judges_NN2 ,_, "_" O'Neal_NP1 said_VVD ._. 
