Kansas: Douglas County District Attorney facing recall threats encouraged by Sheriff

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez is a target of a recall effort, with encouragement by Douglas County Sheriff Jay Armbrister. Valdez accepted a plea bargain in a sexual assault case to aggravated battery, after the lead detective was pulled over misconduct concerns. One resident complained to the sheriff who apparently responded "Why on earth have you not filed a recall petition against this DA?" Perhaps unsurprisingly, Valdez and Armbrister have had other noteworthy disputes.

Kansas is a malfeasance standard state and as such would require a showing of cause. In an interesting twist, the DA is the one who makes the initial determination of sufficiency, but a judge will have to appoint someone else to make that decision. Petitioners would need 40% of turnout in 90 days (which seems to be 18,392).