Practice areas: Criminal Defense, White Collar Crimes, DUI-DWI; view more
Licensed in Kansas since: 1991
Education: Washburn University School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2025 Details
At the Kerns Law Group, Kurt P. Kerns focuses his practice exclusively on criminal law. Providing defense representation to clients throughout the Wichita, Kansas, metropolitan area, he handles state and federal cases involving fraud and other white collar offenses, as well as violent crimes, including murder, rape, battery, manslaughter, conspiracy, drug possession and trafficking, and domestic violence, at both the trial and appellate levels.
Attending The University of Kansas as an undergraduate, Mr. Kerns graduated with his Bachelor of Arts in 1988. He went on to pursue his legal education at the Washburn University School of Law in Topeka and received his Juris Doctor in 1991. Admitted to practice in Kansas the same year he graduated from law school, he is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.
Mr. Kerns has also appeared before the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, where he defended a client who had been accused of committing war crimes. He is one of the very few U.S. attorneys who are authorized to do so. For his many contributions to promoting a pristine, client-centric practice, he is peer-review rated AV Preeminent* through Martindale-Hubbell.
Mr. Kerns has further polished his skills as a criminal defense attorney by attending the Trial Lawyers College, which was founded by Gerry Spence. He is also a graduate of the National Criminal Defense College. Active in a variety of professional organizations, he has served on the board of governors of the Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Rating™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Criminal Defense, Criminal Defense: White Collar, Criminal Defense: DUI/DWI, InternationalFocus areas
Arrest & Arraignment, Assault & Battery, Criminal Domestic Violence, Criminal Fraud, Criminal Law, Criminal Law - Federal, DUI/DWI, Debt, Drug & Alcohol Violations, Expungement, Failure to Pay Child Support, False Accusations, Felony, Juvenile Delinquency, Misdemeanor, Motor Vehicle Offenses, Murder, Overdrawn Bank Account, Parole, Probation, Prosecution, Sex Offenses, Tax Evasion, Theft, Traffic Violations, White Collar Crime
- 60% Criminal Defense
- 20% Criminal Defense: White Collar
- 10% Criminal Defense: DUI/DWI
- 10% International
First Admitted: 1991, Kansas
Professional Webpage: https://kernslawgroup.com/about/kurt-kerns/
- Life Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- The Kansas Supreme Court
- The Supreme Court of the United States
- Kansas Bar Association
- Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
- The International Criminal Court
- Board of Governors, Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- The United States District Court for Kansas
- The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
- Obtained dismissal of all charges in America's first case where the Federal Government was tasked with charging and proving the crime of "Genocide" in an American courtroom., 2011
- State of Kansas v. Green (Kansas physician-oncologist accused of murder and arson)
- United States v. Hardwell, 80 F.3d 1471, (10th Cir.), 1996
- United States v. Hopkins & Hardwell (Seven defendant cocaine conspiracy trial where two individual clients were acquitted over the course of two separate jury trials)
- United States v. Moore, 108 F.3d 270, (10th Cir.), 1997
- State of Kansas v. Naramore, 25 Kan. App 2nd 302, 1998
- The Prosecutor v. Martinovic (Croatian Commander accused of various war crimes at The Hague)
- State v. Flynn, 274 Kan., 473, 2003
- State v. Delacruz, 258 Kan. 129, 1995
- State of Kansas v. Raines (Acquitted of second-degree murder)
- State of Kansas v. Downs (Acquitted of Second-Degree Murder)
- United States v. Webber (Indian Tribe Fraud prosecution)
- United States v. Greathouse (Accused Montana “Freeman” acquitted of federal fraud charges)
- State v. DeLaCruz, 259 Kan. 129, 899 P.2d 1042, 1995
- State of Kansas v. Harstick (Kansas "meat packer murder" acquitted of first-degree murder)
- United States v. Reed, 924 F.Supp.1052, (D. Kan.), 1996
- State of Kansas v. Flynn, 274 Kan. 473, 2002
- State of Kansas v. Marck (Multiple drug charges dismissed and elite police unit disciplined for police misconduct)
- State v. Snodgrass, 267 Kan. 185, 1999
- State v. Naramore, 25 Kan.App.2nd 302, (D.Kan.), 1998
- State of Kansas v. Naramore (Kansas doctor accused and acquitted of murder)
- United States v. Freeman, 479 F.3d 743, 2007
- State of Kansas v. Collins (Sheriff of Cherokee County charged with eleven felonies and nine misdemeanors-acquitted on all charges)
- State of Kansas v. Robinson (Pastor of large church, acquitted of assault)
- State of Kansas v. Finney (Democratic Party Representative acquitted of aggravated battery)
- State of Kansas v. Floyd (Murder charges dismissed after two hung juries- featured on CBS News “48 Hours”)
- United States v. Harris (Kansas’ First Racketeering (R.I.C.O.) prosecution)
- United States v. Moore, 91 F.3d 96, (10th Cir.), 1996
- United States v. Cota-Meza, 367 F.3d 1218, 2004
- United States v. Kobagaya, (Nation’s first prosecution involving accusation of “genocide”)
- United States v. Reed, 113 F.3d 1067, (10th Cir.), 1997
- State v. Franklin, 264 Kan. 496, 1998
- State of Kansas v. McCullough (Acquitted of first-degree murder)
- United States v. Cota-Meza, 367 F.3d 1218, 2004
- Served as legal commentator for Court T.V. True T.V. and featured on CBS News 48
- State of Kansas v. Robinson (Pastor of large church, acquitted of assault)
- United States v. Enloe (Kansas Farmer acquitted of Marijuana growing Operation)
- State of Kansas v. Wright (State Social worker acquitted of selling cocaine to clients)
- Admitted to practice before the International Criminal Court, Hague, Holland.
- I.C.C. Admitted to practice before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. I.C.T.R.
- Wichita Bar Association
- Highest Legal Ability Rating by Martindale-Hubbell (A.V.)
- One of the A Rated Super Lawyers
- Selected as "Top 100 Trial Lawyers" by American Trial Lawyers Association (2007-Present)
- Best Lawyers in America
- "One of the Best Lawyers in the State", CBS News 48 Hours
- Recipient, 2010 Kansas Bar Association "Courageous Attorney Award."
- National Criminal Defense College Graduate - Macon, Georgia
- University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, B.A., 1985-1988
- University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 1984-1985
- Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College - Dubois, Wyoming
- Kansas Bar Association – Kansas Criminal Law Handbook, 4th Edition, Distributed by Lexis Nexis, 2006
- Instructor, Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College (2002 – present)
- Speaker, Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Fall C.L.E., October 2009, "Effective Communication."
- Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Newsletter, "Life is Vague in the Hague.", April 2006
- Aspatore Books, "Inside the Minds - Defense Strategies for Drug Crimes." September 2010
- Speaker, Gerry Spence's Regional Seminar, Seattle, Washington, April 2007, “Psychodrama in the Courtroom."
- Speaker, Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Spring C.L.E, April 2006, “Winning the Impossible Case."
- Speaker, Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Fall C.L.E., October 13-14, 2000, “Theatre in the Courtroom."
- Speaker, Ellis County Bar Association, December 17, 1999, “The Naramore Case."
- Speaker, Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Annual Meeting, April 1998. “New Developments in Criminal Defense-Defending the Fringe."
- Speaker, Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Annual Meeting, April 1996. “Ethics and the Criminal Defense Lawyer."
- Criminal Practice Committee, Wichita Bar Association
- Board of Governors, Kansas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1996 – 2002
- Life Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Association of Defense Counsel – International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (I.C.T.Y)
- International Bar Association
- Selected to serve on Staff at Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College. A rated by Martindale-Hubbell. Listed in Best Lawyers in America
Selections
- Super Lawyers: 2006 - 2025
