The criminal case against Bourbon County Commissioner Mika Milburn-Kee returns to court on Friday, June 26, for a pretrial hearing at 10 a.m. at the Bourbon County Courthouse in Fort Scott. Residents who want to follow the case can attend in person.
Milburn-Kee faces two misdemeanor charges filed by the Kansas Attorney General’s office in March. The first, interference with the conduct of public business in a public building, is a Class A nonperson misdemeanor. The second, disorderly election conduct, comes from the state’s polling-place “three-foot rule.” A conviction on the election-conduct count would carry forfeiture of office under Kansas law.
The charges stem from Oct. 25, 2025, when the county commission room was being used as an early-voting polling place, an encounter that was captured on video. Milburn-Kee has pleaded not guilty and has demanded a jury trial.
A pretrial hearing is a working session before the trial begins. The judge and the attorneys use it to narrow the issues, settle which witnesses and exhibits will be allowed, resolve any outstanding motions, and confirm the schedule. No verdict is reached. It sets the stage for a jury to hear the case.
A three-day jury trial is scheduled for July 6 through 8 in Courtroom A at the Bourbon County Courthouse, starting at 9 a.m. each day. A jury of six, plus one alternate, would decide the case. The Attorney General’s office is prosecuting, and Milburn-Kee is represented by private counsel. FortScott.biz has also looked at how similar Kansas election cases have been resolved.
A charge is an accusation, not a finding of guilt, and Milburn-Kee is presumed innocent unless and until a jury decides otherwise.