Kentucky Court of Justice
44 judges participate in orientation program for new Kentucky judges
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Forty-four new circuit and district judges representing 52 counties participated in the 2010 New Judges Orientation from March 7-10 in Lexington. The Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts offered the program for new circuit and district judges.
“The orientation program provided essential training for new judges in a setting that allowed them to learn alongside and network with other new judges,” said Pike County Family Court Judge Larry E. Thompson, president of the Kentucky Circuit Judges Association. “With the significant influx of new judges, this educational orientation was needed and timely.”
Most of the new judges who attended the orientation were appointed by Gov. Steve Beshear through the Judicial Nominating Commission process. They were named to fill vacancies that resulted largely from judges retiring to join the Senior Judges Program before it sunset Jan. 31, 2009. Several of the appointees were judges who were moved to another judicial level, such as a district judge who was appointed to a circuit judgeship.
Experienced Kentucky judges and AOC personnel conducted the orientation sessions. Judges met in joint sessions for training on ethics and conduct, domestic violence, pretrial and bail.
Participants also attended separate sessions specific to their jurisdiction. Circuit judges learned about civil proceedings, jury management, discovery, summary judgment, criminal issues and capital trials. Family Court judges received training on adoption, termination of parental rights, child support and divorce. District judges learned about probate, driving under the influence cases, small claims and young offenders.
“It is important that all judges, especially our new judges, receive training in the areas that are part of their jurisdictional obligations,” said Campbell County District Court Judge Karen A. Thomas, president of the Kentucky District Judges Association. “The orientation was valuable for the judges at each level.”
The judges had the opportunity to earn 20 continuing education credits through the orientation.
Circuit Court
Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction that hears civil matters involving more than $4,000, capital offenses and felonies, divorces, adoptions, termination of parental rights, land dispute title cases and contested probate cases.
Family Court
A division of Circuit Court, Family Court has primary jurisdiction in cases involving family issues, such as divorces, adoption, child support, domestic violence and juvenile status offenses.
District Court
District Court is a court of limited jurisdiction. Juvenile matters, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, traffic offenses, probate of wills, felony preliminary hearings, small claims, and civil cases involving $4,000 or less are all District Court matters, as are voluntary and involuntary mental commitments and cases relating to domestic violence and abuse.
Administrative Office of the Courts
The Administrative Office of the Courts in Frankfort supports the activities of approximately 3,700 Kentucky Court of Justice employees, including the elected offices of justices, judges and circuit court clerks. The AOC Division of Judicial Branch Education provides continuing education for judges.
Judges who attended the 2010 New Judges Orientation are:
Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties
Circuit Court Judge William E. Lane
District Court Judge William W. Roberts
Bell County
Circuit Court Judge Robert V. Costanzo
District Court Judge Robert T. Yoakum
Boone and Gallatin counties
District Court Judge Stephen P. Huddleston
Boyd County
District Court Judge Scott T. Reese
Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties
District Court Judge Steven Roy Crebessa
Bullitt County
District Court Judge Jennifer E. Porter
Campbell County
Family Court Judge M. Gayle Hoffman
Carter, Elliott and Morgan counties
Family Court Judge David D. Flatt
Clark and Madison counties
Family Court Judge Ira D. Newman
Circuit Court Judge William G. Clouse Jr.
District Court Judge Charles W. Hardin
Clay, Jackson and Leslie counties
District Court Judge Henria Bailey-Lewis
Cumberland and Monroe counties
District Court Judge Kristi Renee Castillo
Daviess County
District Court Judge Daniel M. “Nick” Burlew II
Estill, Lee and Owsley counties
District Court Judge William “Bo” Leach
Fayette County
District Court Judge Julie Muth Goodman
Floyd County/Floyd, Knott and Magoffin counties
Family Court Judge Dwight S. Marshall (serves Floyd, Knott and Magoffin counties)
Circuit Court Judge Johnny Ray Harris (Floyd only)
Franklin County
Family Court Judge Squire Williams
District Court Judge Chris Olds
Green, Marion, Taylor and Washington counties
Circuit Court Judge Dan Kelly
Hardin County
District Court Judge John David Simcoe
Harrison, Nicholas, Pendleton and Robertson counties
Family Court Judge Barbara L. Paul
Circuit Court Judge Jay Delaney
Henderson County
District Court Judge Charles R. McCollom III
Hopkins County
District Court Judge William R. Whitledge
Jefferson County
Circuit Court Judge Brian C. Edwards
Circuit Court Judge Olu A. Stevens
District Court Judge David P. Bowles
District Court Judge David L. Holton II
District Court Judge Katie King
District Court Judge Sadiqa N. Reynolds
District Court Judge Ann Bailey Smith
District Court Judge Mason L. Trenaman Sr.
District Court Judge Jennifer Bryant Wilcox
District Court Judge Erica Lee Williams
Kenton County
District Court Judge Kenneth L. Easterling
Knox and Laurel counties
District Court Judge Wendell Lewis “Skip” Hammons Jr.
McCracken County
Circuit Court Judge Tim Kaltenbach
McCreary and Whitley counties
District Court Judge Jason P. Price
McLean and Muhlenberg counties
Circuit Court Judge Brian W. Wiggins
District Court Judge Cecil Terry Earle