Joseph Pierron

G. Joseph Pierron (born May 16, 1947) is an American judge serving on the Kansas Court of Appeals.

Background

George Joseph "Joe" Pierron Jr. was born to George Joseph Pierron Sr. and Rosemary Pierron on May 16, 1947 in Kansas City, Kansas. He graduated from Olathe Senior High School in 1964, Rockhurst College of Kansas City, Missouri, in 1968 and the University of Kansas School of Law in 1971.

Career history

Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeals in 1990, he served as a district judge in Olathe from 1982. In the years prior he served as an assistant county and district attorney in Johnson County, Kansas from 1971. He also served as municipal judge of Spring Hill in 1972.

Kansas v. Limon

Judge Pierron sat on the panel of three judges for the Kansas v. Limon case, where the defendant received significantly harsher punishment because of his sexual orientation. Limon, who is mildly mentally disabled, engaged in sexual activity with an underage partner of 14. Limon was 18 at the time of the incident. Under a "Romeo and Juliet" clause in Kansas law, if Limon had engaged in sexual relations with a girl of 14, his sentence would have ranged from 13 to 15 months. Limon was convicted as charged and sentenced to 206 months imprisonment. At his initial appeal, the lower courts' decision was upheld. After the Lawrence v. Texas ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003, Kansas v. Limon again appeared before the Kansas Court of Appeals. This time, in light of the Lawrence decision, Pierron dissented while the other judges on the panel ruled to uphold the lower court's ruling; the majority decision would later be reversed by the Kansas Supreme Court.

Charitable service

Judge Pierron has served as President of the Kansas Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse and on the board of directors of the Kansas Children's Service League. He serves on the Kansas Bar Association Law Related Education committee and is a member of the American Bar Association Judicial Administration and Alternative Dispute Resolution sections. He is chair of Kids Voting Kansas, founded by former Governor Bill Graves and Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh. Kids Voting is a state chapter of Kids Voting USA, an organization to encourage voting through education in the schools and parallel mock elections held in official polling places during regular elections.

Judge Pierron has received leadership and public service awards from the National Committee for the Prevention of Child Abuse, the Kansas Children and Youth Advocacy committee, the Kansas Corporation for Change, the Olathe Police Department, the Olathe Medical Center, and the Olathe Jaycees. He received the Junior League of Topeka Community Volunteer Award in 1998, the Kansas Bar Association Outstanding Service Award in 1999 and the Liberty Bell Award from the Shawnee County Bar Association in 2002.

External links

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