In light of the new monthly case summaries of published decisions  being prepared by the AOC and which are available at their web site,  the "Kentucky Court Report" is now changing its format and much of our editorial staff is "retiring" (but with no retirement pay as some;).  Some of our editors will continue their digests, but we have had a great run of volunteer work (nearly 6 years for some!!!), and it is time for them to retire their "pens" and move to other endeavors.

I thank each and every one of them for an outstanding job and service to the legal community.  Much is being said and written about "mentoring", but when you think of the volunteer work of these fine lawyers, each highly competent and experienced in their respective fields, who provided this outstanding analysis to the bar, the term "mentor" comes to mind.  Each of these lawyers can claim to have mentored thousands of lawyers in this state!

When you see them from time to time, do me a really big favor and thank them individually for the fine work they have done.  They have served as examples of how a few selfless individuals can make a difference and show others and the AOC on how to use the Internet in providing services to bar.

In a blawgosphere where most web blogs are hit or miss renditions of opinions and commentary, we have provided and will continue to provide a publishing service rarely equaled elsewhere.

Yes, I am proud of the work they have done, and am not embarrassed to say it.  Without them, the Kentucky Court Report (fka Kentucky Cases and the Louisville LawWire would have been a pale imitation of what it is now).  I hope we can continue.

Their names are:

The following changes will become effective with decisions announced in 2009 from the Kentucky Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals:

  • The monthly summaries of published decisions from the SC and the COA will now be posted.
  • The published decisions of the COA will not be published/posted separately as before.
  • The published decisions of the SCOKY will continue to be posted separately as before but will be the digested summaries from the AOC and what are contained in the monthly digests/summaries.
  • The minutes will be posted as before, but simply with a link to the AOC minutes by date and organized by COA Minutes and SCOKY Minutes under the categories.
  • The COA argument calendars will be posted in the form of a link to the minutes filed at the AOC web site.  Cutting and pasting these minutes into these posts will end.
  • The  SCOKY argument calendars will be posted as before with dates, times, cases, issues, counsel, AND links to the briefs at Chase School of Law AND links to the underlying COA decision if one exists.
  • If we receive any videos of arguments from SC or COA, then we will either post the entire "streaming video" of the argument if it is one we have converted or any links to the argument posted elsewhere.  Presumably, these will be SCOKY arguments, and we will post with the link the date, time, case name, case number, date of discretionary review, trial judge name, and the issue before the court.

These changes will not detract from the information you have been receiving before. 

Probably the most significant change is using the monthly summaries in lieu of the individual COA posts.  I may try cutting and pasting them as separate posts early on to see if it is that much of a time problem.

Some of the categories on the side column will be: