Michelle Keller, Kentucky Supreme Court
We will be electing our appellate district’s Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court in a few weeks. For many reasons I strongly support the reelection of Michelle Keller to serve as our justice. In my 45 years at the Bar of this Commonwealth we have been served by Justices Robert Lukowski, John Jay O’Hara, Donald Wintersheimer, Wil Schroeder and Justice Michelle Keller. I have been privileged and fortunate to work with and assist this Court for many years , including serving on its Supreme Court Rules Committee and President of its Bar Association. She is held in high esteem by her peers, by the attorneys in Kentucky, and by the public. Put simply, Justice Keller does an excellent job in this important position.
Section 116 of the KY Constitution delegates to the Supreme Court the power to prescribe rules governing its appellate jurisdiction, rules for the appointment of commissioners and other court personnel, and rules of practice and procedure for the Court of Justice. The Supreme Court shall, by rule, govern admission to the bar and the discipline of members of the bar. This Court is assigned all appeals from judgments imposing the death penalty, life imprisonment and sentences of 20 years or more in prison. It may choose in its discretion what other appeals to consider. Its job is not just to serve as appellate court, but also to regulate the practice of law by licensed attorneys and establish and administer the rules for the Court of Justice. The 7 justices elect a ‘Chief Justice’ for a 4 year term, and the Chief acts as a CEO of the entire system.
So when considering a Supreme Court candidate for our district, experience in criminal, civil, appellate cases, and experience in lawyer conduct and discipline are essential qualities. From my view, the candidate’s political party affiliation and conservative/liberal philosophy is completely irrelevant. Can the candidate work with the other 6 to reach consensus on important issues – like life and death? Can the candidate put aside personal opinions on issues to render decisions based on the facts and law of each case? Will the candidate agree to recuse from (aka, get out of) cases where personal bias and involvement appear improper….where the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned? Can the candidate, if elected, be fair and impartial without bias and prejudice toward either party? You see, judicial elections are not like other elections where we want to know where the candidate stands on issues important to us. Our Court’s rules are set up to try our best to avoid pre-judging issues – just the opposite for elections to, for instance, the KY Senate.
I know from experience that Justice Michelle Keller is clearly the correct choice for the Kentucky Supreme Court on November 8.
Thomas L. Rouse
Ft. Mitchell
Teresa Barton, State Senate District 20
In the summer of 2022, I had the honor of working with Teresa Barton, KY 20th State Senate District Candidate, through the Distinguished Young Women of Frankfort Scholarship Program.
I was most fortunate to have her as my mentor as part of Empowering Tomorrow’s Future and would like to share what I learned from her with other young women. She serves as a role model for all women through her grace, kindness and confidence, public speaking skills, collaborative problem-solving, community involvement and service to others. Not to mention her baking skills. After my time spent with Teresa all I could say was “Wow! What a GIRL BOSS.”
Please vote for Teresa Barton for State Senate. You can cast your vote with confidence!
Some of the most notable words Teresa Barton, my mentor, shared with me were, “No matter what room you walk into, what meeting, what party, what event, wherever you are… you belong there. You belong there just like everyone else.”
These are words I believe every young woman needs to hear. Ms. Barton is the epitome of a strong woman. She is running for state senate, but has many accomplishments: Deputy Secretary, Executive Director, Franklin County Judge/Executive, Sr. Account Executive — the list goes on.
. . . I have learned many things from our time together; how to accomplish goals I have set for myself, building resilience in the face of disappointment, and to be confident in my career choices. . .
I also learned from my interview with her that no matter what predicament I’m put in, I need to be able to adapt and make the most of the situation. Learning from disappointment is important to be happy and successful. We need to take the opportunity to grow and to push ourselves to do our best.
Please vote for Teresa Barton, 20th State Senate District to Empower Tomorrow’s Future for KY.
Piper Smith
Western Hills High School
Class of 2023
Frankfort