Judge Tony Martinez denied allegations by Wyandotte County District Attorney about judge's courtroom decorum

KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.

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With just a few weeks before an election, tension is brewing in Wyandotte County after District Attorney Mark Dupree sent a letter to the county's chief judge outlining several complaints against Judge Tony Martinez.

I filed a public records request and obtained the letter.

Dupree sent the letter to Wyandotte County's chief judge on July 10, stating lawyer's from the DA's office will no longer appear before Martinez.

The four-page letter includes allegations that include Martinez not accepting negotiated plea agreements to making inappropriate comments.

Lauren Leslie/KSHB 41

Dupree claims Martinez told a Hispanic prosecutor to fix his tie and "look important, not imported."

The letter also details an argument in court this month where Martinez told Dupree to "sit down and shut up."

Dupree addressed questions about the timing of the letter in a statement Wednesday. He said it had nothing to do with the upcoming election.

"The timing of the letter to the Wyandotte County District Court Chief Judge had nothing to do with the upcoming election, and everything to do with my appearance in front of Judge Martinez on July 9th, 2026, on a case. The conduct and demeanor I personally experienced from Judge Martinez required me to immediately return to the office and apologize to current and previous employees for not removing our office sooner," Dupree said in his statement.

Dupree's complaint isn't the first filed against Martinez.

His opponent, Reginald Davis, says he encouraged his client to file a judicial claim after a small claims dispute.

Lauren Leslie/KSHB 41

Davis said he once supported Martinez.

"I supported him in 2018 when he got on the bench,” Davis said. “And once he got on the bench, he changed. He wasn't the same friendly, warm guy.”

Davis faces criticism after he made remarks about “outsiders” being in the community like “Chinese spies.”

He claims he was referring to Martinez as an outsider to the community and not immigrants, as some people thought.

“I do have some pause and I do have some regret about having said Chinese spies…it was a bad choice of words,” Davis said. “I was not being apologetic about attacking Judge Martinez.”

Kayla Roehler, another Division 5 judicial candidate, also spoke out against Martinez at a candidate forum on Saturday where she directly listed complaints against him.

When reached for an interview, Roehler declined to comment on the matter.

Martinez issued a detailed statement after this story's deadline passed, categorically denying all allegations in the letter.

"I am, however, disappointed that baseless accusations found such an easy way to get in the media just as we are 20 days away from the citizens of Wyandotte County voting on judicial office elections," Martinez said.

Lauren Leslie/KSHB 41

Martinez said he was not made aware of the letter's contents until July 14 and was therefore unable to respond sooner.

"As stated, I was not informed by anyone of the contents of the letter until late yesterday, so I could not respond or comment to something I did not see, even though it is apparent that many, many people saw before me. Again, I deny all the allegations in that letter," Martinez said.

Martinez also provided context for the dispute, saying the complaints against him came after a hearing in which the DA's office was charged with violating a court order.

"The complaints only came after a hearing I presided in where the district attorney's office was charged with violating a court order. I stand by my actions within that hearing and reaffirm that actual or perceived adverse results should not be the basis for negative reactions on the part of any litigant," Martinez said.

Martinez said he believes the letter was an internal matter and called its release to the public disgraceful.

"There should be no conflicts between the district attorney's office and any member of the judiciary. To my knowledge, there never were before," Martinez said.

Martinez added that Davis' complaint against him was not successful and that he did not prohibit him from appearing in his court.

"I simply recused myself from all his cases because to hear cases of someone who has filed a complaint against me would absolutely give the appearance of bias and impropriety, so it was my duty to recuse myself from his cases," Martinez wrote.

He also addressed the political dynamics of the race, noting that candidates challenging a sitting judge are compelled to point to deficiencies in the incumbent to justify their campaign.

Martinez said those candidates have an ethical duty not to misrepresent facts or make false allegations.

"I have a reputation for my commitment to the community and all the people of Wyandotte County to make sure the laws are fairly and justly applied and I am confident that those who know will see through any maneuverings of others that may seek to influence the upcoming judicial office elections," Martinez said.

That characterization aligns with what many community members say about Martinez, including KCK resident Durand Nichols, who appeared before him in court.

He says as a first-time voter, his experience shaped his viewpoint.

"My experience in his courtroom, there was nothing like that. He showed integrity, he showed equality, he showed fairness," Nichols said.

Lauren Leslie/KSHB 41

Nichols described Martinez as community-oriented — a sentiment echoed by several community members who commented on an initial Facebook post about the story.

They also questioned Dupree's timing ahead of the August 4 primary.

The dispute has drawn attention beyond the DA's office.

David Magariel, Chief Public Defender for the Twenty-Ninth Judicial District Public Defender Office, issued a statement saying his office also is not currently appearing before Martinez — but pushed back on how that has been characterized.

"The Wyandotte County Public Defender's Office does not want to get involved in the current dispute involving the Wyandotte County District Attorney's Office and Judge Martinez. To correct one mischaracterization, while the Wyandotte County Public Defender is not currently appearing before Judge Martinez, that is not because our office refused to appear in his courtroom. Our office has never refused to appear before any judge in Wyandotte County," Magariel said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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