Kentucky Court of Appeals
| Kentucky Court of Appeals | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1792 |
| Jurisdiction | Kentucky, United States |
| Location | Frankfort, Kentucky |
| Composition method | Non-partisan election |
| Authorized by | Kentucky Constitution |
| Appeals to | Kentucky Supreme Court |
| Number of positions | 14 |
| Website | Official Website |
| Chief Judge | |
| Currently | Larry E. Thompson |
| Since | December 6, 2023 |
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.[1]
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.[2]
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.[3]
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.[4]
List of judges
As of August 1, 2025:
| District | Division | Name | Start |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th | 2nd | Larry Thompson, Chief Judge | 2019 |
| 1st | 1st | Christopher McNeill, Deputy Chief Judge | 2020 |
| 1st | 2nd | Lisa Jones | 2024 |
| 2nd | 1st | Jeff Taylor | 2003 |
| 2nd | 2nd | Kelly Mark Easton | 2023 |
| 3rd | 1st | Jacqueline Caldwell | 2019 |
| 3rd | 2nd | James Lambert | 2006 |
| 4th | 1st | Audra Eckerle | 2023 |
| 4th | 2nd | Annette Karem | 2023 |
| 5th | 1st | Will Moynahan | 2025 |
| 5th | 2nd | Glenn Acree | 2006 |
| 6th | 1st | Allison Jones | 2013 |
| 6th | 2nd | Susanne Cetrulo | 2021 |
| 7th | 1st | Sara Walter Combs | 1994 |
See also
- Old Court-New Court controversy
- Courts of Kentucky
References
- ^ Biven, William E. (1959). "The Historical Development of the Kentucky Courts". Kentucky Law Journal. 47 (4): 467.
- ^ Metzmeier, Kurt (December 1, 2006). "A Constitutional Amendment to Reform Kentucky's Courts". Faculty and Staff Scholarship, University of Louisville.
- ^ "Alumni - Martha Layne Collins". University of Kentucky Alumni Association. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
- ^ Kentucky: Court of Justice – Chief Judge Larry E. Thompson
External links
State intermediate appellate courts in the United States | ||
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The states of Delaware, Maine, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, and Wyoming do not have intermediate appellate courts. Nor do the equivalent court systems of American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the U.S. Virgin Islands | ||