Kentucky judges attend judicial college in Lexington

  • Circuit Court judges participate in 2013 judicial college in Lexington FRANKFORT, Ky. — Circuit Court judges from across Kentucky participated in the 2013 Circuit Judges Fall College that took place Nov. 18-20 in Lexington. The Administrative Office of the Courts provided the judicial education program for the state’s circuit judges.The judges received updates on case law and legislation and attended sessions on court technology, bail, e-discovery, and court interpreting for individuals who are deaf or non-English-speaking. The judges also heard from Chief Justice of Kentucky John D. Minton Jr. about trends in the state court system.“While justice remains as the core of what we do, certain aspects of being a judge have changed since many of us took office,” said Jefferson Family Court Judge Stephen M. George, who was elected president of the Kentucky Circuit Judges Association at the college. “Today, the makeup of our citizenry is different, technology is part of everyday life and we’re operating under a budget crisis. These factors affect the way judges carry out our duties, and it’s important that we use the resources that are available to us to help us better serve the public.” Circuit judges also had the opportunity to attend courses about problem-solving courts such as Veterans Treatment Courts and Drug Court, substance abuse issues, search and seizure, tax delinquency, and bankruptcy’s effect on state court rulings. Another session focused on a judge’s responsibilities in appointing counsel for defendants and in considering waivers of counsel from defendants who want to represent themselves.
  • District Court judges participate in 2013 judicial college in Lexington FRANKFORT, Ky. — District Court judges from across Kentucky participated in the 2013 District Judges Fall College that took place Nov. 4-6 in Lexington. The Administrative Office of the Courts provided the judicial education program for the state’s district judges.
    • The District Court judges attended courses about Veterans Treatment Courts, juvenile justice, human trafficking, cybercrime, substance abuse, court technology, and court interpreting for individuals who are deaf or non-English-speaking.The judges also heard from Chief Justice of Kentucky John D. Minton Jr. about trends in the state court system.“Much about how the courts operate is different from when I took the bench 15 years ago,” said District Court Judge Donald E. Armstrong Jr., who was elected president of the Kentucky District Judges Association at the college. “Changing demographics, the budget crisis and new technology are affecting how judges carry out our work. It’s important for us to adapt to better serve the public and the legal community.” The college also covered emergency protective orders and domestic violence orders, the bail schedule under House Bill 463 and new legislation and case law.