On Monday, June 8, 2026, The Mercury reported that Manhattan municipal Judge Sarah Smith Barr has resigned, citing an investigation she characterized as based on “half-truths and misrepresentations.”

Barr, who had served as judge since July 1 and previously spent 23 years as a student legal services attorney at K-State, expressed that she “felt sick” about leaving the job she loved. She indicated that she felt forced out, stating, “The bottom line is I did not convict enough people, and I pissed off the police.”

Barr was informed three weeks prior to her resignation that she would be placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Deputy city manager Jason Hilgers and human resources director Deann Tiede informed her that the investigation concerned alleged employee conduct violations, but did not provide further details or specify which organization would conduct it. Barr said she received a six-page document detailing alleged violations, stating she was never consulted about them or the investigation.

The complaint, as provided by Barr to The Mercury, outlined five policy violations. These included using threatening, abusive, offensive, or discourteous language; insubordination; discriminating against individuals; persistent failure to meet performance standards; and engaging in political activity that violated personnel policies.

Barr believes the investigation was partly influenced by an incident on December 4, involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in her courtroom. The agents were present to detain a defendant, and Barr felt their presence during proceedings was inappropriate. The complaint mentioned this incident, noting that employees should refrain from commenting on ICE or its operations.

Barr reportedly told the agents she did not think they should be there, but no city employee intervened to remove them. The woman was detained in the hallway after her hearing, an event that led to a complaint from Ryan Kriegshauser, U.S. attorney for the District of Kansas, who urged the city not to act as a sanctuary city or obstruct immigration officials.

Further allegations in the complaint suggested Barr was rude to impoverished individuals and intentionally embarrassed them when discussing fines and fees. Barr countered that she always inquired about defendants’ financial situations to ensure payment orders would not cause hardship, using phrases like, “If you do that, can you keep the baby fed? Can you keep the lights on?” She asserted she would never intentionally embarrass a defendant.

Another allegation claimed Barr was biased and prejudiced, with several African American defendants reportedly raising concerns about her comments regarding race. The complaint stated that court staff advised Barr that defendants found her remarks negative, and Barr subsequently told defendants she knew they faced unfair treatment from society and law enforcement.

Barr admitted to discouraging one defendant from pleading guilty, advising him, “You’re a young Black man. You should take a diversion when you can.” While acknowledging some comments might not have aligned with city expectations, she maintained her actions were always in the defendants’ best interests.

Barr denied an allegation that she considered code violations unimportant, stating her background as a former student legal services attorney made her aware of their significance. She did admit to an error in conduct towards a defendant who was removed from the courtroom for using his cell phone and later made a derogatory comment to the prosecutor. Barr referred to this as telling the man to “stop being a dick” and expressed regret, deeming the comment inappropriate. She affirmed that her conduct and judicial actions have remained consistent since her hiring, and she had informed the city during her interview that she sought fairness, not to be a “revenue stream for the city,” with her goal being “for the scales of justice to balance equally.”

Riley County police director Brian Peete stated he was unaware of any investigation into Barr and that the Riley County Police Department had not conducted any internal inquiry. He added that to his knowledge, RCPD officers and staff had not made complaints regarding Barr’s conduct, rulings, or professionalism, and that interactions between Barr and RCPD staff had been positive.

The role of a municipal judge involves hearing cases in the city’s municipal court, working with the court administrator and city attorney, and issuing judgments without external influence, typically handling traffic and other minor offenses.

 

 

Source: The Mercury