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On June 8, 2018, the ACLU of Kansas filed suit against Montgomery County Attorney Larry Markle on behalf of Kansas Crossroads Foundation and Karena Wilson for his failure to fulfill his legal duty to implement diversion programs in accordance with Kansas law. Instead, Mr. Markle instead pursued the more expensive and disproportionately harsh prosecution of individuals posing minimal community risks.
The plaintiffs are the Kansas Crossroads Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides ministry and support services to Wilson and Montgomery County defendants convicted of drug offenses, including addiction recovery programs, and Karena Wilson, a 19-year-old girl who was never notified of her diversion options on a first-time theft charge.
![Montgomery County DA Larry Markle is violating defendants' rights. Montgomery County DA Larry Markle hid the county diversion program from eligible defendants. He is breaking the law, refusing to fulfill the legally required duties of his office, and violating defendants' rights.](https://www.aclukansas.org/sites/default/files/styles/content_area_full_width/public/field_image/markle_suit_2018.jpg?itok=pOb8-FhM)
Mr. Markle failed to properly inform defendants about his diversion policies and guidelines per K.S.A. §22-2907(3) and to provide in-person diversion conferences to defendants offered diversion under K.S.A. §22-2907(2). The suit seeks a Writ of Mandamus from the Kansas Supreme Court requiring Mr. Markle to create written diversion policies, to provide written notice of those policies to all defendants in his jurisdiction, and to provide diversion conference to defendants offered diversion.
Mr. Markle’s failure to follow Kansas diversion law negatively impacted the work of KCF, which has had to divert significant staff, volunteer, and financial resources away from rehabilitation to helping defendants convicted in Montgomery County comply with the conditions of their probation or parole.