Phill Kline Biography
Phill Kline is a fifth-generation Kansan who was sworn in as the 41st Attorney General in Kansas history on January 13, 2003, and who now serves as District Attorney in Johnson County, Kansas. Born in Kansas City, Kansas, less than nine miles from where his great-great grandfather settled in the Old Quindaro Township in 1870, Phill Kline was one of five children raised by a single parent. That experience taught him early on the importance of hard work, dedication to excellence, and commitment to justice.A graduate of Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Shawnee, Kline attended Central Missouri State University on a wrestling scholarship. After receiving degrees in political science and public relations, he attended the University of Kansas School of Law where he earned his law degree in 1987. Phill Kline practiced law full time as a litigator with the Kansas City firm Blackwell Sanders until he was elected to represent Shawnee in the Kansas House of Representatives in 1992. During his eight years in the House, Phill Kline was recognized as a leader in the fight for crime victims' rights, welfare reform, and more responsible government. He authored six new crime victims' rights laws, co-wrote Kansas' welfare reform, and was recognized as "Legislator of the Year" by the state's developmentally disabled and mental health communities. As Kansas Attorney General, Phill Kline continued his efforts to protect the most vulnerable in our society: our children, seniors, and the developmentally and physically disabled. Attorney General Kline helped establish the Kansas City based Cyber Crimes Task Force combining elements of the FBI, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, local law enforcement and General Kline's office, the unit has placed over 100 Internet predators of children in prison. Kline also led the fight for the passage of Jessica's law in Kansas and his office investigated and/or prosecuted over 700 cases of adults sexually exploiting children. Kline's leadership was recognized nationally as he was named the National Co-Chairman of the Violent Sexual Predator Task Force, was elected Chairman of the Midwest Association of Attorneys General and also elected Chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association.
Mr. Kline was also recognized for his critical role in breaking the Kaufman case in which two mental health professionals routinely sexually and physically abused their patients over a period of years. For his efforts in investigating and prosecuting the case and also successfully changing Kansas law to enhance the safety net for the mentally disabled, General Kline was named Prosecutor of the Year by the National Alliance for the Mentally III.
During his tenure as Attorney General, Kline doubled the criminal case load in the office prosecuting over 60 murder cases and more than doubled the prosecution of those who physically abuse or neglect our elderly. Mr. Kline has appeared before the United States Supreme Court on four occasions and successfully argued for the reinstatement of the Kansas death penalty.
As Attorney General, Kline initiated an investigation into child rape, failure to report child rape and criminal late-term abortion. The investigation led to a judge issuing subpoenas for 90 abortion records after finding probable cause to believe that crimes have been committed, from the Kansas City clinic of Planned Parenthood and the clinic of late-term abortionist George Tiller of Wichita. In a running four year legal battle that twice went to the Kansas Supreme Court Kline successfully obtained the records only a few weeks before leaving office. Kline was defeated in his re-election effort by a candidate who received hundreds of thousands of dollars of abortion industry support and who also promised to end Kline's investigation of the abortion clinics.
In December, Kline provided some of the evidence obtained to a Sedgwick County District Judge in Wichita who found probable cause to believe that George Tiller committed multiple crimes. Tiller was ordered to appear in criminal court to answer the charges but before the court date, Democrat Sedgwick County District Attorney Nola Foulston, without notice to Kline's office, approached a different judge who had not reviewed the evidence and who is also a Democrat, and in a five minute meeting obtain an order dismissing the charges against Tiller.
The charges filed alleged that Tiller repeatedly provided illegal late-term abortions and public documents show that children as young as ten have had abortions at Tiller's clinic. Those children are victims of rape and Kansas law requires the report of child rape by medical professionals.
Furthermore, federal law provides that if Planned Parenthood violated state laws requiring the report of child rape that Planned Parenthood will lose its federal funding which amounts to approximately $275 million a year. It is perhaps for this reason that General Kline was named along with Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, James Dobson and Father Frank Pavone as a domestic terrorist by Planned Parenthood.
Kline was the only elected official named by Planned Parenthood. Kline's office ppealed the dismissal; however, newly elected Democrat Attorney General Paul Morrison dismissed the appeal.
Kline became the first prosecutor since Roe vs. Wade to obtain abortion records from Planned Parenthood in an investigation of Planned Parenthood. As Johnson County District Attorney Kline has indicated that the investigation continues but refuses to provide comment on the investigation.
In January of 2007, Mr. Kline was sworn in as District Attorney for the 10th Judicial District of Kansas, in Johnson County, where he and his staff of over 100 people prosecute more than 8,000 criminal cases every year. Phill Kline and his wife, Deborah, have a 15-year-old daughter, Hillary.