Ky Court Docket

Reorganization of District Court docket schedules [The Arena]

Jefferson County contains about 17 percent of the state’s population, but the local courts annually handle more than 20 percent of Kentucky’s court cases.  Now, for the first time since their creation more than 30 years ago, the Jefferson District Courts are being extensively reorganized.

Kentucky’s four-tier court system (Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Circuit Courts, District Courts) was established by the passage of the Judicial Article to the Kentucky Constitution in 1975, which went into effect July 15, 1976.  Prior to that time, Kentucky had a multiplicity of Magistrate, Circuit, and City courts.  Judges were not required to have any legal experience (or even be lawyers!), and many 5th and 6th-class cities held “traffic court” on card tables, in someone’s garage or basement.  Needless to say, the 1976 court improvements were generally well-received.

Now, the Jefferson District Court criminal dockets are being completely revamped; with changes to be effective Aug. 1.  At a press conference today, at the Judicial Center at 7th and Jefferson Streets, court officials announced the scheduling modifications that have been in the planning stage for more than two years.

Supreme Court Justice Lisabeth Hughes Abramson, who represents Jefferson County, opened the news conference, and told those in attendance, "Change is never easy, but sometimes change is necessary."  Jefferson Chief District Judge Sean R. Delahanty said “After two years of careful planning and often lively discussion, Jefferson District Court will be getting the overhaul it needs.  Our judges accepted the challenge to reform the system and I’m especially pleased that this plan has the support of our partners in the legal and law enforcement communities. We’re working hard to prepare everyone for the transition and are looking forward to giving people a much improved experience when they come to Jefferson District Court.”

Judge Delahanty explained that 10 of the 17 District Court judges will be assigned to criminal dockets, with each having five dockets in the morning and five in the afternoon.  The other seven district judges will handle the civil dockets.  Justice Abramson suggested that the new schedules will alleviate overcrowding and wait time and better balance court dockets.

The plan is for the morning criminal dockets to include complex cases where police officers, attorneys, and witnesses will be involved; with the afternoon dockets to be used for hearings on simpler matters, such as traffic citations and bad check cases.  Colonel John Aubrey, the Jefferson County Sheriff added, "By moving 45% of case load that shows up in the morning to the afternoon, those of you that have to enter through our security checkpoint won't be in such long lines, maybe they'll go a little faster.

An Amish Criminal Case In Kentucky | MyFDL

Briefs from two religious groups: The National Committee for Amish Religious Freedom and the Central Mennonite Counsel. The case is a First Amendment religious freedom case. The Amish, offended by an orange triangle emblem that they consider garish and “worldy,” have offered to outline their buggy in reflective tape and light it up with lanterns to make it clearly visible.

The Court of Appeals affirmed.

As you can clearly see from the docket, the Kentucky Supreme Court has granted discretionary review, meaning that the case is still active. Furthermore, although the Court of Appeals has designated the opinion “To Be Published,” it cannot be cited as authority until the case is finally resolved (and that could potentially be years from now).

Meanwhile, a local paper published a front-page article on June 9, 2011, entitled,*” Further Amish case delays rejected.”

A photograph shows a county jailer holding up a grey jail uniform that he specially ordered in eager anticipation of the Amish ‘criminals.’ He had to have ordered eighteen of these things.

In this article, the prosecutor says, “We’re done continuing it.” He actually has nothing to do with continuing ‘it’ or not because the case is being handled in Frankfort, by other attorneys. But his statement sounds good, sort of like, ‘let’s get em and lock em up now. For the good of our citizens, I tell you.’

By the way if the prosecutor says it it must be true, right?

Anyway, the fines are $25 plus $138 per potential Amish inmate. Can anyone tell me how much eighteen specially ordered grey Amish jail uniforms cost? Also, the ultimate irony is they grey uniforms. All other inmates everywhere have to wear orange or stripes, so that they (the inmates) are prominently displayed, for the safety of the community at large, sort of like the orange triangle/emblem is also prominently displayed for the safety of the community.

But the prosecutor will waive that little…little orange uniform thing for now.

Because he would rather lock up Amish men and then brag about it. You see, either it is fines or it is jail time served to waive the fines.

Is there or is there not a football rule that prohibits unsportsmanlike and/or premature gloating and rubbing victory or anticipated victory in the losing team’s face? That should apply here.

At this rate, I would not be surprised to see the Amish pack their shit and leave the state, taking all the revenue along…all the stuff like their name on everything from big-box potato salad to manufactured homes. Then see how much money is left over to special order non-regulation jail outfits.

The Kentucky law reporter

Civil and criminal codes of practice of Kentucky

Rules and docket of the Court of Appeals of Kentucky, Frankfort, winter term, 1943

The general statutes of Kentucky, by an Act approved April 22, 1873, to which are prefixed Magna charta, the Constitution of the United States, the Constitutions of Kentucky ...

Reports of civil and criminal cases decided by the Court of Appeals of Kentucky, 1785-1951