Kentucky Court of Justice
Judges participate in national Child Abuse and Neglect Institute in Louisville

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Judges from every region of Kentucky participated in the prestigious Child Abuse and Neglect Institute that took place Aug. 22-26 in Louisville. This was the first time Kentucky hosted the national training program, which has only been offered in three other states outside of its usual venue of Reno, Nev. The institute was for Family Court judges and circuit and district judges who handle family law cases.

The weeklong training program brought together national and local faculty to teach on core topics including hearing practices, child development, substance abuse and cutting-edge court improvement development. Participants also heard from Kentucky youths about their experiences in foster care.

“It speaks highly of the Kentucky Judicial Branch that a program of this caliber was presented here,” said Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble of the Supreme Court of Kentucky. “This was a rare opportunity to get in-depth training on child abuse issues and I appreciate the judges who gave this topic their full attention for several days.”  

The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges created the CANI in 1996 to train judges in best practices in dependency, neglect and abuse cases. The highly interactive program lets judges share their bench experiences, practice skills and develop relationships that foster information sharing long after they have completed the program.

Chief Justice of Kentucky John D. Minton Jr., Deputy Chief Justice Noble, Jefferson County Family Court Judge Patricia Walker FitzGerald and the AOC Department of Family and Juvenile Services arranged for the institute to take place in Kentucky.

The Administrative Office of the Courts hosted the event with federal grant funds it received through the Kentucky Court Improvement Project.

The AOC in Frankfort is the operations arm for the state court system. The AOC supports the activities of nearly 3,300 court system employees and 403 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. As the fiscal agent for the state court system, the AOC executes the Judicial Branch budget.

Judges who participated in the CANI are, by county:

Allen County
Family Court Judge Sid Broderson (serves Allen and Simpson counties)

Anderson County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Bath County
District Court Judge Don Blair (serves Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties)
District Court Judge William W. Roberts (serves Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties)

Bracken County
District Court Judge W. Todd Walton II (serves Bracken, Fleming and Mason counties)

Breathitt County
Family Court Judge Larry Miller (serves Breathitt, Powell and Wolfe counties)

Breckinridge County
District Court Judge Shan F. Embry (serves Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties)

Bourbon County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Family Court Judge Tamra Gormley (serves Bourbon, Scott and Woodford counties)

Boyle County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Family Court Judge Bruce Petrie (serves Boyle and Mercer counties)

Bullitt County
Bullitt County Family Court Judge Elisè Givhan Spainhour

Caldwell County
District Court Judge Jill Clark (serves Caldwell, Livingston, Lyon and Trigg counties)

Calloway County
Family Court Judge Rob Mattingly (serves Calloway and Marshall counties)

Christian County
Christian County Family Court Judge Jason Shea Fleming

Clark County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Family Court Judge Nora J. Shepherd (serves Clark and Madison counties)

Clay County
Family Court Judge Gene Clark (serves Clay, Jackson and Leslie counties)

Daviess County
Daviess County District Court Judge Lisa P. Jones
Daviess County District Court Judge David C. Payne

Fayette County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Fayette County Family Court Judge Lucinda Masterton
Fayette County Family Court Judge Timothy N. Philpot
Fayette County Family Court Judge John P. Schrader
Fayette County Family Court Judge Jo Ann Wise

Fleming County
District Court Judge W. Todd Walton II (serves Bracken, Fleming and Mason counties)

Franklin County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Franklin County Family Court Judge Squire Williams III

Grayson County
District Court Judge Shan F. Embry (serves Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties)

Green County
District Court Judge Amy S. Anderson (serves Green, Marion, Taylor and Washington counties)

Hardin County
Hardin County Family Court Judge Brent Hall

Henry County
Family Court Judge Timothy E. Feeley (serves Henry, Oldham and Trimble counties)

Hopkins County
Hopkins County Family Court Judge Susan Wesley McClure

Jackson County
Family Court Judge Gene Clark (serves Clay, Jackson and Leslie counties)

Jefferson County
Jefferson County Family Court Judge Dolly W. Berry
Jefferson County Family Court Judge Donna L. Delahanty
Jefferson County Family Court Judge Patricia Walker FitzGerald
Jefferson County Family Court Judge Stephen M. George

Jessamine County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Johnson County
Family Court Judge Janie McKenzie-Wells (serves Johnson, Lawrence and Martin counties)

Kenton County
Kenton County Family Court Judge Christopher J. Mehling

Lawrence County
Family Court Judge Janie McKenzie-Wells (serves Johnson, Lawrence and Martin counties)

Leslie County
Family Court Judge Gene Clark (serves Clay, Jackson and Leslie counties)

Livingston County
District Court Judge Jill Clark (serves Caldwell, Livingston, Lyon and Trigg counties)

Lyon County
District Court Judge Jill Clark (serves Caldwell, Livingston, Lyon and Trigg counties)

Madison County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Family Court Judge Nora J. Shepherd (serves Clark and Madison counties)

Marion County
District Court Judge Amy S. Anderson (serves Green, Marion, Taylor and Washington counties)

Marshall County
Family Court Judge Rob Mattingly (serves Calloway and Marshall counties)

Martin County
Family Court Judge Janie McKenzie-Wells (serves Johnson, Lawrence and Martin counties)

Mason County
District Court Judge W. Todd Walton II (serves Bracken, Fleming and Mason counties)

McCracken County
McCracken County Family Court Judge Cynthia E. Sanderson

Meade County
District Court Judge Shan F. Embry (serves Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties)

Menifee County
District Court Judge Don Blair (serves Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties)
District Court Judge William W. Roberts (serves Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties)

Mercer County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Family Court Judge Bruce Petrie (serves Boyle and Mercer counties)

Montgomery County
District Court Judge Don Blair (serves Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties)
District Court Judge William W. Roberts (serves Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties)

Oldham County
Family Court Judge Timothy E. Feeley (serves Henry, Oldham and Trimble counties)

Pike County
Pike County Family Court Judge Larry E. Thompson

Powell County
Family Court Judge Larry Miller (serves Breathitt, Powell and Wolfe counties)

Rowan County
District Court Judge Don Blair (serves Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties)
District Court Judge William W. Roberts (serves Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties)

Scott County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Family Court Judge Tamra Gormley (serves Bourbon, Scott and Woodford counties)

Simpson County
Family Court Judge Sid Broderson (serves Allen and Simpson counties)

Taylor County
District Court Judge Amy S. Anderson (serves Green, Marion, Taylor and Washington counties)

Trigg County
District Court Judge Jill Clark (serves Caldwell, Livingston, Lyon and Trigg counties)

Trimble County
Family Court Judge Timothy E. Feeley (serves Henry, Oldham and Trimble counties)

Warren County
Warren County Family Court Judge Margaret R. Huddleston

Washington County
District Court Judge Amy S. Anderson (serves Green, Marion, Taylor and Washington counties)

Wolfe County
Family Court Judge Larry Miller (serves Breathitt, Powell and Wolfe counties)

Woodford County
Deputy Chief Justice Mary C. Noble, Supreme Court of Kentucky (represents Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties)

Family Court Judge Tamra Gormley (serves Bourbon, Scott and Woodford counties)