FRANKFORT, Ky., Sept. 19, 2019 – Kentucky’s District Court judges recently gathered in Bowling Green to learn more about DUI drug cases, domestic violence and digital evidence at their annual conference. The judges met Sept. 15-18 for the 2019 District Judges College.
Several sessions focused on DUI drug cases, with presentations about drug recognition experts, field sobriety tests and toxicology.
“Drug-related cases, unfortunately, make up a lot of what judges handle in District Court, so it was helpful to learn more from law enforcement and other officials about the work they’re doing in the field that results in their testimony and other evidence in our courtrooms,” said Christian County District Court Judge J. Foster Cotthoff. “The college also gave the judges a chance to catch up with each other on what they are experiencing in their jurisdictions and to spend some time in Western Kentucky, where we haven’t had a college in many years.”
Judge Cotthoff was elected at the college for a two-year term as president of the Kentucky District Judges Association.
The judges also got an update on case law and participated in sessions on probate, judicial wellness and rules for handling criminal cases.
The college included continuing judicial education credit for the district judges.
District Court
District Court judges handle juvenile matters, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, violations, traffic offenses, probate of wills, arraignments, felony probable cause hearings, small claims involving $2,500 or less, civil cases involving $5,000 or less, voluntary and involuntary mental commitments and cases relating to domestic violence and abuse.
Administrative Office of the Courts
The AOC is the operations arm for the state court system and supports the activities of more than 3,400 employees and 406 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. The AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.
Many judges serve more than one county. By counties in each judicial district, District Court judges who attended the college include:
Adair and Casey counties
District Court Judge Michael Loy
Allen and Simpson counties
District Court Judge Martha Blair Harrison
Anderson, Shelby and Spencer counties
District Court Judge Linda Dixon Bullock
District Court Judge Donna G. Dutton
Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties
District Court Judge Don Blair
District Court Judge William W. Roberts
Barren and Metcalfe counties
District Court Judge J. Gabriel Pendleton
Bell County
Bell County District Court Judge Robert T. Yoakum
Boone and Gallatin counties
District Court Judge Jeffrey S. Smith
District Court Judge Marcia L. Thomas
Bourbon, Scott and Woodford counties
District Court Judge Sarah R. Hays
District Court Judge Mary Jane Phelps
Boyle and Mercer counties
District Court Judge Jeff L. Dotson
Bracken, Fleming and Mason counties
District Court Judge Kim Razor
Breathitt, Powell and Wolfe counties
District Court Judge Gary Salyers
Bullitt County
Bullitt County District Court Judge Jennifer E. Porter
Butler, Edmonson, Hancock and Ohio counties
District Court Judge Joseph Brett “J.B.” Hines
District Court Judge John M. McCarty
Caldwell, Livingston, Lyon and Trigg counties
District Court Judge James R. Redd III
District Court Judge Natalie White
Calloway County
Calloway County District Court Judge Randall A. Hutchens
Campbell County
Campbell County District Court Judge Cameron J. Blau
Campbell County District Court Judge Karen A. Thomas
Carroll, Grant and Owen counties
District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Chandler
District Court Judge Thomas M. Funk
Carter, Elliott and Morgan counties
District Court Judge H. Rupert Wilhoit III
Christian County
Christian County District Court Judge John Lindsey Adams
Christian County District Court Judge J. Foster Cotthoff
Clark and Madison counties
District Court Judge Charles W. Hardin
District Court Judge Cole Adams Maier
District Court Judge Earl-Ray Neal
Clay, Jackson and Leslie counties
District Court Judge Henria Bailey-Lewis
District Court Judge Allen B. Roberts
Clinton, Russell and Wayne counties
District Court Judge Scarlett B. Latham
District Court Judge James M. Lawson
Crittenden, Union and Webster counties
District Court Judge Daniel M. Heady
Daviess County
Daviess County District Court Judge Daniel M. “Nick” Burlew II
Daviess County District Court Judge Lisa P. Jones
Daviess County District Court Judge David C. Payne
Estill, Lee and Owsley counties
District Court Judge William “Bo” Leach
Fayette County
Fayette County District Court Judge Lindsay Hughes Thurston
Floyd County
Floyd County District Court Judge Eric D. Hall
Floyd County District Court Judge Jimmy R. Marcum
Fulton and Hickman counties
District Court Judge Hunter B. Whitesell II
Garrard, Jessamine and Lincoln counties
District Court Judge Janet C. Booth
District Court Judge Bill Oliver
Graves County
Graves County District Court Judge Deborah Hawkins Crooks
Green, Marion, Taylor and Washington counties
District Court Judge Amy S. Anderson
District Court Judge Mike Hall Jr.
Hardin County
Hardin County District Court Judge John D. Simcoe
Harlan County
Harlan County District Court Judge Scott Lisenbee
Harrison, Nicholas, Pendleton and Robertson counties
District Court Judge Charles W. Kuster Jr.
Hart and LaRue counties
District Court Judge C. Derek Reed
Henderson County
Henderson County District Court Judge Jill Brady
Henderson County District Court Judge Leslie M. Newman
Henry, Oldham and Trimble counties
District Court Judge Jerry D. Crosby
District Court Judge Diana E. Wheeler
Hopkins County
Hopkins County District Court Judge David G. Massamore
Hopkins County District Court Judge William R. Whitledge
Jefferson County
Jefferson District Court Judge David P. Bowles
Jefferson District Court Judge Stephanie Pearce Burke
Jefferson District Court Judge Anne Delahanty
Jefferson District Court Judge Kristina Garvey
Jefferson District Court Judge Tanisha A. Hickerson
Jefferson District Court Judge Julie Kaelin
Jefferson District Court Judge Katie King
Jefferson District Court Judge Sara Michael Nicholson
Jefferson District Court Judge Jennifer Bryant Wilcox
Jefferson District Judge Amber B. Wolf
Johnson, Lawrence and Martin counties
District Court Judge John T. Chafin
Kenton County
Kenton County District Court Judge Kenneth L. Easterling
Kenton County District Court Judge Douglas J. Grothaus
Knott and Magoffin counties
District Court Judge Dennis B. Prater
Knox and Laurel counties
District Court Judge John Paul Chappell
District Court Judge Wendell Lewis “Skip” Hammons Jr.
Letcher County
Letcher County District Court Judge Kevin R. Mullins
Logan and Todd counties
District Court Judge Kenneth R. Williams Jr.
Marshall County
Marshall County District Court Judge Jack M. Telle
McCracken County
McCracken County District Court Judge Chris Hollowell
McCracken County District Court Judge Todd S. Jones
McCreary and Whitley counties
District Court Judge Cathy E. Prewitt
District Court Judge Fred F. White
McLean and Muhlenberg counties
District Court Judge Brian Crick
Perry County
Perry County District Court Judge Cody Goehring
Pike County
Pike County District Court Judge Tommy R. May
Pike County District Court Judge Robert F. Wright
Pulaski and Rockcastle counties
District Court Judge Jeffrey Scott Lawless
District Court Judge Kathryn G. Slone
Warren County
Warren County District Court Judge John B. Brown
Warren County District Court Judge Brent J. Potter
Warren County District Court Judge Sam Potter Jr.
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