Jefferson County Circuit Court

Last updated
Jefferson County Circuit Court
Jurisdiction Kentucky
Jefferson County
Location Jefferson County, Kentucky
Composition methodNon-partisan election
Appeals to Kentucky Court of Appeals
Website https://www.jeffersoncircuitcourt.com/
Chief Judge
Currently Angela McCormick Bisig
Clerk of Court
CurrentlyDavid L. Nicholson

The Jefferson County Circuit Court is the Kentucky Circuit Court with jurisdiction over Jefferson County Kentucky, which includes the city of Louisville, Kentucky. [1] It is the largest single unified trial court in Kentucky. [2] [3]

Contents

History

The Kentucky Circuit Court with jurisdiction over Jefferson County, Kentucky, includes the city of Louisville, Kentucky. In 1991, the Family Court was established as a separate division of the Jefferson County Circuit Court, and is tasked with handling all family law matters. [4]

On January 1, 2021, Kentucky's first Business Court Docket was launched in Jefferson County Circuit providing a specialized forum for complex commercial cases. [5] [6]

Courthouses

Administration

The Jefferson County Circuit Court has 13 separate divisions, with separate judges presiding over each division. [7] Circuit Court judges serve terms of eight years. [3] [8] As of 2021, the Chief Judge was Angela McCormick Bisig. [9] [10] David L. Nicholson is the Circuit Court Clerk. [11]

Officers

There are several officers of the court, including judges, jurors, mediators, master commissioners, prosecutors, defense attorneys, clerks and bailiffs.

Jurors

Judges

The Kentucky Court of Justice maintains an official roster of all circuit court judges, including the 13 judges of the Jefferson County Circuit Court. Notable judges have included:

Master Commissioners

The master commissioner is a subordinate judicial officer elected by the judges of the court and granted limited power to hear and make decisions in certain types of legal matters, similar to a United States magistrate judge. [13] The function of the master commissioner is to assist the Jefferson County Circuit Court in the discharge of its duties and the enforcement of its judgments, including conducting sales of property to satisfy liens, mortgages, or claims of ownership. Currently, the Master Commissioner is Carole C. Schneider. [14]

Prosecutors

The Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney (referred to in most states as the District Attorney), Thomas B. Wine, prosecutes crimes before the court on behalf of Kentucky. The mission statement of the Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney is "to promote public safety through the ethical, fair and just prosecution of criminal offenses; to advocate for justice for the victims of crimes; to safeguard the rule of law; to promote citizens’ confidence in the criminal justice system by treating all persons with fairness, dignity and respect, and to collaborate with all members of the criminal justice system to ensure the rights of all persons are respected." [15]

Defense attorneys

The functions of the Louisville Metro Public Defender's Office are contracted to the Louisville and Jefferson County Public Defender Corporation, a 503(c)(3) non-profit organization. Daniel T. Goyotte served as the Chief Public Defender from 1982 to 2018. Currently, the Chief Public Defender of the Louisville Metro Public Defender's Office is Leo G. Smith. [16]

Clerks

The Jefferson County Office of the Circuit Court Clerk is responsible for managing the courtrooms and other clerical courtroom activities, including serving as the custodian of all court records as maintaining the repository of fees, fines and court costs in the Jefferson County Circuit Court . The current Circuit Court Clerk is David L. Nicholson. [11]

Bailiffs

The functions of the bailiff are contracted to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, which is currently headed by Col. John Aubrey, Sheriff. [17]

Notable cases

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mecklenburg County, Virginia</span> County in Virginia, United States

Mecklenburg County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 30,319. Its county seat is Boydton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenup County, Kentucky</span> County in Kentucky, United States

Greenup County is a county located along the Ohio River in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,962. The county was founded in 1803 and named in honor of Christopher Greenup. Its county seat is Greenup. Greenup County is part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark County, Indiana</span> County in Indiana, United States

Clark County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana, located directly across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky. At the 2020 census, the population was 121,093. The county seat is Jeffersonville. Clark County is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan Statistical Area.

A rocket docket is a court or other tribunal that is noted for its speedy disposition of cases and controversies that come before it, often by maintaining strict adherence to the law as pertains to filing deadlines, etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Court of Virginia</span> Highest court in the U.S. state of Virginia

The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrative law cases that are initially appealed to the Court of Appeals of Virginia. Established in 1779 as the Supreme Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court of Virginia is one of the oldest continuously active judicial bodies in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacramento County Superior Court</span> Branch of California superior court with jurisdiction over Yolo Country

The Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, alternatively called the Sacramento County Superior Court, is the California Superior Court located in Sacramento with jurisdiction over Sacramento County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky</span> United States federal district court in Kentucky

The United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky is the federal district court for the western part of the state of Kentucky.

William Eugene McAnulty Jr. was an American attorney and judge in Louisville, Kentucky who became the first African American justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court. He served on every level court in Kentucky.

The government of Virginia combines the executive, legislative and judicial branches of authority in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The current governor of Virginia is Glenn Youngkin. The State Capitol building in Richmond was designed by Thomas Jefferson, and the cornerstone was laid by Governor Patrick Henry in 1785. Virginia currently functions under the 1971 Constitution of Virginia. It is Virginia's seventh constitution. Under the Constitution, the government is composed of three branches: the legislative, the executive and the judicial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Kentucky</span> State government of Kentucky

As established and defined by the Kentucky Constitution, the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is composed of three branches: the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Kentucky</span> Overview of and topical guide to Kentucky

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the United States Commonwealth of Kentucky:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles County Superior Court</span> Trial court in California

The Superior Court of Los Angeles County is the California Superior Court located in Los Angeles County. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States.

The Kentucky Circuit Courts are the state courts of general jurisdiction in the U.S. state of Kentucky.

The Alameda County Superior Court, officially the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda, is the California superior court with jurisdiction over Alameda County as established by Article VI of the Constitution of California. It functions as the trial court for both criminal and civil cases filed in Alameda County.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Kentucky since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. The decision, which struck down Kentucky's statutory and constitutional bans on same-sex marriages, was handed down on June 26, 2015, and Governor Steve Beshear and Attorney General Jack Conway announced almost immediately that the court's order would be implemented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Kentucky elections</span>

A general election was held in the U.S. state of Kentucky on November 3, 2015. All of Kentucky's executive officers were up for election. Primary elections were held on May 19, 2015.

Benjamin Franklin Shobe was an American civil rights attorney and jurist who advocated for the desegregation of public education and public facilities in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Richmond, Virginia</span>

The government of Richmond, Virginia, headquartered at Richmond City Hall in Downtown Richmond, is organized under the Charter of Richmond, Virginia and provides for a "strong" mayor-council system. The mayor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for the administration of city government. The Richmond City Council is a unicameral body consisting of nine members, each elected to represent a geographic district. The city of Richmond is located in the 13th Judicial Circuit of Virginia, and its court system consists of a circuit court and four district courts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Cameron (American politician)</span> Attorney General of Kentucky from 2020 to 2024

Daniel Jay Cameron is an American attorney and politician who served as the 51st attorney general of Kentucky from 2020 to 2024. A member of the Republican Party, Cameron was the first African American and the first Republican since 1943 to be elected to the office. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2023 Kentucky gubernatorial election, losing to Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear.

References

  1. ↑ "Kentucky Circuit Court 30". BallotPedia. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Office of Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk". Office of Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Louisville Bar Association - Guide to Courts". Louisville Bar Association. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Kentucky Court of Justice - About the Courts - Family Court". Kentucky Court of Justice. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  5. ↑ "Kentucky launches first Business Court Docket in Jefferson County". The Lane Report. December 18, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  6. ↑ Hiatt, Leigh Ann (December 17, 2019). "Supreme Court launches Kentucky's first court to meet needs of business community". Kentucky.gov. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Jefferson Circuit Court - About Us". Jefferson County Circuit Court Website. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  8. ↑ Franzen, Steven (April 10, 2014). "Column: Brief overview of state court system". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Jefferson Circuit Court - Division 10". Jefferson Circuit Court. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  10. ↑ Wolfson, Andrew (May 12, 2021). "Mass exodus of judges likely from Jefferson Circuit Court, reducing experience on the bench". The Courier Journal. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  11. 1 2 "About Circuit Court Clerk David L. Nicholson". Office of Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  12. ↑ "Jury Service FAQs". Office of Jefferson County Circuit Court Clerk. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Kentucky Revised Statutes". Kentucky General Assembly. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Jefferson Circuit Court Commissioner's Office". Jefferson Circuit Court Commissioner's Office. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney - Jefferson County, Kentucky". Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney - Jefferson County, Kentucky. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  16. ↑ "Louisville-Jefferson County Public Defender Corporation Leadership Team". Louisville Metro Public Defender. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Court Security". Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. January 1, 2021. Retrieved July 17, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.