State high court Good law

State v. Sims

No. 114,959 (Kan. Aug. 14, 2026) (per curiam)

Three convictions for failing to pay a $20 quarterly registration fee were reversed, but the justices split on why.

Court
Kansas Supreme Court
Decided
August 14, 2026
Reach
Kansas — the result, not a rule
Verified
September 30, 2026
Read the opinion All cases

Good law. No rationale commanded the four votes the Kansas Constitution requires, so the decision reverses the convictions without settling the constitutional question. Final word on that state’s own law and constitution — in that state only.

What happened

Terrance Sims was convicted of failing to pay the $20 fee K.S.A. 22-4905 requires at each quarterly registration.

What the court decided

All five participating justices agreed to reverse. Three would hold the fee provision facially invalid on substantive due process grounds. Two relied on the State’s failure to bring the district court’s ruling back to the court on time.

Why it matters to the Registry

Three justices would strike down criminal penalties for unpaid registration fees outright — a live issue in every state that charges them — and the question is now openly waiting for the next case.

What it did not decide

There is no controlling rationale, and the concurrence expressly leaves the constitutional question for a later case.

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