Kansas Appeals Court Attorney Fired Over Offensive Tweets

A Kansas appeals court attorney was fired Monday after posting comments that included foul language about the state's former attorney general on Twitter.

Sarah Peterson Herr, a research attorney for a Kansas Court of Appeals judge, took to Twitter last week during an ethics investigation hearing for Attorney General, Phill Kline at the Kansas Supreme Court, according to the AP.

Kline's is currently under review for indefinite suspension of his law license for his conduct during investigations of abortion providers while he was the Kansas attorney general and Johnson County district attorney.

He stood before the seven-member Kansas Supreme Court Thursday around 10 a.m. reportedly, as Herr tweeted her commentary.

Referring to Kline's facial expression, she tweeted, "Why is Phil Klein (sic) smiling? There is nothing to smile about, douchebag."

In another tweet she suggested that the court would disbar Kline for seven years for his conduct.

Herr was suspended with pay on Friday and also gave a public apology for her actions, stating she didn’t “realize that her posts were readable by all Twitter readers.”

Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Lawton Nuss confirmed Monday that Herr has been fired and that her case is now under review for possible ethical violations.

"I have no interest in insulting any judge or justice in that courthouse who is prepared to be fair and objective as it relates to Phill Kline," said Tom Condit, Kline’s representative in his case.

"But the bigger question has always been what kind of atmosphere prevails in the back rooms of the high courts of Kansas that would make a young lady like that so comfortable to tweet those kinds of comments in those circumstances."

Court spokesman, Ron Keefover said he is unable to divulge details about Herr's firing. Herr was also not immediately available for comment, the AP reports.

Herr had worked for Court of Appeals Judge, Christel Marquardt since 2010, and was promoted to research attorney in 2011.