The Kentucky Court of Appeals is the intermediate court of Kentucky's two appellate courts, under the Kentucky Supreme Court. Prior to a 1975 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution, the Kentucky Court of Appeals was the court of last resort and only appellate court in Kentucky.
History Similar to the federal constitution, Kentucky's first constitution directly established the state's highest court while delegating the authority to establish lower courts to the legislature.
The Kentucky Court of Appeals remained the highest court in the state until 1975 when a constitutional amendment was passed by ballot referendum to reorganize reorganize Kentucky's judicial system. The Kentucky Supreme Court was formed and made the new highest court of the state while the Court of Appeals became the state's intermediate court on January 1, 1976.
In addition, the amendment made all judicial election's nonpartisan and abolished the office of Clerk of the Court of Appeals as a statewide elected constitutional office. The clerkship was the first elected office held by future governor Martha Layne Collins, who defeated future Kentucky Chief Justice Joseph Lambert in 1975. Collins was the last individual to be elected clerk, and subsequently the first to serve as clerk of the Kentucky Supreme Court.
Function The Kentucky Court of Appeals has a headquarters building and courtroom in Frankfort. Unlike the Kentucky Supreme Court however, the three-judge panels of the Kentucky Court of Appeals frequently hear cases in courthouses all over Kentucky.
The chief judge assigns judges and cases to panels. Membership of the panels rotate so that all judges sit on at least one panel with each of their colleagues in any given year. Usually one judge is chosen to author the majority opinion for each panel in a particular case.
The Kentucky Court of Appeals hears appeals from the Kentucky Circuit Courts, with the exception of criminal cases involving sentences of death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment of twenty years or more, in which appeals are taken directly to the Kentucky Supreme Court. In addition, original actions may be filed with the Kentucky Court of Appeals in certain situations.
Judges The Kentucky Court of Appeals is composed of 14 judges who serve eight year terms. Two judges are elected from each of the state's seven appellant districts which mirror the seven districts of the Kentucky Supreme Court. The current chief judge is Larry E. Thompson.Kentucky: Court of Justice – Chief Judge Larry E. Thompson
List of judges
DistrictDivisionNameStart7th2nd, Chief Judge 20191st1st, Deputy Chief Judge20201st2nd20242nd1st2003 2nd2nd20233rd1st20193rd2nd20064th1st2023 4th2nd20235th1st20255th2nd2006 6th1st20136th2nd20217th1st1994
See also Old Court-New Court controversy Courts of Kentucky
References
External links Kentucky Court of Appeals