Phill Kline

This article is about the politician. For the composer with a similar name, see Phil Kline.
Phill Kline
Phil Kline in 1986
District Attorney of Johnson County, Kansas
In office
January 2007 – January 2009
Preceded byPaul J. Morrison
Succeeded bySteve Howe
41st Attorney General of Kansas
In office
January 6, 2003 – January 8, 2007
GovernorBill Graves
Kathleen Sebelius
Preceded byCarla Stovall
Succeeded byPaul J. Morrison
Member of the Kansas House of Representatives
from the 18th district
In office
January 11, 1993 – January 8, 2001
Preceded byEugene Amos
Succeeded byMary Pilcher-Cook
Personal details
Born (1959-12-31) December 31, 1959 (age 64)
Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseDeborah Kline
ProfessionAttorney (license indefinitely suspended)

Phillip D. Kline (born December 31, 1959) is a former American attorney who served as a Kansas state legislator, district attorney of Johnson County, and Kansas Attorney General. Kline, a member of the Republican Party, lost re-election as attorney general to Democratic challenger Paul J. Morrison in 2006.[1] Kline was appointed by the Republican County Central Committee to fill the vacancy left by Morrison's election as Kansas Attorney General, becoming district attorney of Johnson County on the day he left office as attorney general and essentially switching jobs with Morrison. Kline then ran for a full term as district attorney, but was defeated in the 2008 Republican primary.[2]

Kline was a polarizing figure in state politics, largely surrounding his use of his office to investigate abortion providers.[3] He filed charges against George Tiller, a late-term abortion provider, and led a years-long effort to prosecute Planned Parenthood in Kansas.[3] Kline received a series of official rebukes and reprimands for his legal tactics against abortion providers, and in 2013, his law license was indefinitely suspended by the Kansas Supreme Court, which found "clear and convincing evidence" that Kline committed numerous violations of conduct rules, which included providing false testimony.[4][5] Kline appealed his license suspension to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to intervene, leaving the suspension in place.[6] Kline is currently an assistant professor at Liberty University, an evangelical Christian college in Lynchburg, Virginia.

  1. ^ "Race for Attorney General" Archived 2007-09-30 at the Wayback Machine, Lawrence Journal-World; retrieved January 8, 2007.
  2. ^ 'Kline chosen as Johnson County District Attorney', Lawrence Journal World, John Hanna, 12 December 2006. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  3. ^ a b Sulzberger, A.G. (November 22, 2011). "Kansas Abortion Prosecution Loses Some Steam, but Fire Is Still Hot". New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2011. The case emerged from a long investigation by one of the state's most polarizing elected officials, Phill Kline, who had used his position as Kansas attorney general and later as Johnson County district attorney to crusade against abortion providers, earning a series of official rebukes along the way for his tactics, including a recommendation last month by a state board that he be prohibited from practicing law in the state.
  4. ^ Plumlee, Rick (October 18, 2013). "Kansas Supreme Court Indefinitely Suspends Phill Kline's State Law License". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved October 18, 2013.
  5. ^ Rizzo, Tony (October 18, 2013). "Phill Kline is indefinitely suspended from practicing law". Kansas City Star.
  6. ^ "Supreme Court denies Kansas' Phill Kline appeal on law license". Kansas City Star. Retrieved April 7, 2020.