justice
Kentucky appeals court upholds governor’s ability to take legislature to court
Kentucky’s legislature acted unconstitutionally in 2022 by prohibiting Gov. Andy Beshear from spending public funds to challenge its actions, the state Court of Appeals ruled Friday in a unanimous decision. The appeals judges upheld an earlier ruling by Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate that had struck down the legislature’s attempt to block the governor from […]
Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice commissioner resigns effective Jan. 1
Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner Vicki Reed has resigned, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday. Beshear, who will begin his second term Dec. 12, also announced that Jeremy Slinker, director of Kentucky Emergency Management, is leaving the administration to take a job with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Reed, who has been the target […]
AG-elect Coleman plans to target public corruption, drugs, violent crime, child exploitation
FRANKFORT — Kentucky’s next attorney general, Republican Russell Coleman, said Tuesday that combating public corruption will be one of his priorities but declined to speak specifically about London Mayor Randall Weddle’s use of “straw donors” to make excessive contributions to Gov. Andy Beshear’s campaign and the Kentucky Democratic Party. Flanked by his transition team and […]
Cash bail policies are under fresh scrutiny
States can’t figure out what to do about cash bail. The system — in which an arrested suspect pays cash to avoid sitting in jail until their court date and gets the money back when they appear — is deeply entrenched in the nation’s history as a way to ensure defendants return to face justice. […]
Kentucky ACLU appeals to U.S. high court for transgender minors’ medical care
The Trevor Project, which aims to end suicide among LGBTQ+ youth, also has trained counselors available around the clock. Reach them at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/, or by texting START to 678678. The American Civil Liberties Union on Friday filed a petition for a certiorari asking the United States Supreme Court to overturn an […]
Kentucky’s ban on transgender medical care for minors headed to U.S. Supreme Court, ACLU says
Kentucky’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on the 2023 law banning certain gender affirming medical care for transgender minors. This comes more than a month after the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to keep Kentucky’s ban on treatments like […]
Court: Texts about public business on officials’ personal cell phones can be public record
The Kentucky Court of Appeals issued an opinion Friday morning that says messages on personal cell phones are public records when they are created or used by government officials for government business. The decision comes in a lawsuit filed by the non-profit Kentucky Open Government Coalition against the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources […]
Kentucky Supreme Court strikes down ‘random’ change of venue law
The Kentucky Supreme Court in a 6-1 decision Thursday struck down a new law allowing “random” changes of venue in lawsuits challenging state laws and decisions. In its order, the state’s highest court said Senate Bill 126 violated the separation of powers among state government branches. The court said the law, among other unconstitutional features, […]
Kentucky activists step in to deliver on the promise of voting rights restoration
This story first appeared in Bolts and is reprinted with permission. Alonzo Malone Jr. says he felt “less than human” during the 27 years the state of Kentucky barred him from voting. Malone lost his voting rights, along with his freedom and a slew of other civil liberties, in 1989 when he was convicted of […]
Who’s more qualified to succeed Cameron? Meet the candidates for attorney general
Voters in Kentucky’s race for attorney general will choose between a former FBI agent who served as a federal prosecutor and a retired Air Force colonel and military lawyer who won a seat in the legislature. The winner will succeed Republican Daniel Cameron who is running for governor. Russell Coleman, the Republican nominee who was […]
Legislators in 49 states ask SCOTUS to preserve access to abortion pill
A group of more than 600 Democratic legislators from 49 states have signed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court urging the justices to overturn an appellate court decision that would roll back access to mifepristone, one of two drugs used to safely terminate early pregnancies and treat miscarriages. The amicus brief, also called […]
Lawmakers briefed on handling of sexual misconduct charges against juvenile justice staff
Since 2015, there were six cases in which Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice staff engaged in sexual misconduct or activity with a youth in the system, staff told the Legislative Oversight and Investigations Committee Thursday. The misconduct could include “sexual harassment” or “inappropriate sexual banter,” Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet Secretary Kerry Harvey told […]