§ 22-2601 Jurisdiction.

The district court is the main court that handles criminal cases in Kansas. It has the power to hear and decide felony cases, along with most other criminal cases based on state law. This means if someone is charged with a serious crime, their case will almost always go through district court rather than a lower court.

There is one exception written into this rule. A separate law, K.S.A. 12-4104, allows certain cases to be handled differently, usually by municipal courts for lesser offenses tied to city ordinances. Outside of that exception, if you're facing a criminal charge under Kansas state law, the district court is where your case belongs.