Executive Summary
- The Kansas Supreme Court will hear oral arguments for Reginald and Jonathan Carr on January 28, 2026.
- The appeal challenges a lower court’s April 2024 denial of motions for new sentencing hearings.
- The case stems from capital murder convictions related to crimes committed in December 2000.
- The U.S. Supreme Court previously reinstated the brothers’ death sentences in 2016.
The Kansas Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for Wednesday, January 28, 2026, regarding the ongoing legal appeals of Reginald and Jonathan Carr. According to court filings, the proceedings will address the defendants’ challenge to a Sedgwick County judge’s denial of their motions for new sentencing hearings, marking the latest development in the decades-long legal saga stemming from crimes committed in December 2000.
The Carr brothers were convicted of capital murder and other charges related to a crime spree that occurred between December 7 and 14, 2000, which resulted in multiple fatalities. While a jury recommended death sentences for both men in 2002, the case has undergone extensive appellate review. The Kansas Supreme Court initially vacated the death sentences in 2014, but the United States Supreme Court reversed that decision in 2016, effectively reinstating the capital punishment ruling. Following a subsequent directive from the U.S. Supreme Court, the state’s high court affirmed the death sentences in 2022.
Current legal maneuvers center on what is known as the "1507 hearing" stage. On April 24, 2024, Sedgwick County District Court Judge Goering denied the brothers’ motions for new sentencing hearings. The defense argues that the original sentencing was improper and that the question of the death penalty requires re-litigation. Conversely, state prosecutors contend that the matter has been legally resolved and that no new sentencing phase is warranted.
Procedural Next Steps
The upcoming arguments represent a critical phase in the state-level appellate process for capital cases. Following the exhaustion of direct appeals, defendants in Kansas typically file collateral attacks under K.S.A. 60-1507 to challenge issues such as ineffective assistance of counsel. The Kansas Supreme Court’s decision on this specific appeal will determine whether the case returns to district court for resentencing or if the defendants must proceed to federal habeas corpus proceedings. It is important to note that the appellate process ensures that all legal protocols regarding capital punishment are strictly observed and that defendants are afforded the right to challenge the legality of their sentencing and confinement.
