Courts: Women now make up 1/3 of Kentucky judiciary per report by Sec'y of State

Per this study, the "gender gap" is decreasing apparently in Kentucky's judiciary. Story is by Paul Long with Northern Kentucky Post.

Number of female judges rises KENTUCKY POST

The number of female judges in Kentucky has increased dramatically over the past decade, and they now constitute nearly one-third of the state judiciary, according to a new study by the secretary of state.

From 1995 to 2007, the percentage of women judges has risen from less than 10 percent to 31.1 percent. In raw numbers, female judges increased more than three-fold, from 25 in 1995 to 88 this year.

It's the only part of government in the state with a significant increase, according to the study, "Opening Doors of Opportunity."

The state still ranks 49th in the nation for the number of women in political office, it said. Just 17 women serve in the 138-member General Assembly, and six are judge-executives, the top elected position in Kentucky's 120 counties.

The only elected positions in which women hold the majority are those that traditionally have been female: circuit clerk and county clerk.

The increase in female judges has been across all four levels of the court system.

And the increase in Northern Kentucky is similar to the increase statewide.

Currently, eight women serve in the 21 judicial positions in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, and all three counties have at least one woman in their trial courts.

Indeed, two of the five female Court of Appeals judges were elected from Northern Kentucky in 2006: Joy Moore from Boone County and Michelle Keller from Kenton County.

In 1995, there was just one woman on the Court of Appeals and one on the Supreme Court. Today, two women sit on the state's highest court, and five are members of the Court of Appeals - including its chief judge, Sara Walter Combs of Stanton.

The most dramatic rise has been on the circuit bench - the higher level of the two trial courts, which includes family court judges.

In 1995, just five of the 93 circuit judges were women. This year, that figure has increased to 42 women out of 145 judges.

"My mother's generation would have never dreamed that a woman could be on the Supreme Court," state Auditor Crit Luallen said in the report.

"This generation will be the first generation that sees no barriers in what you can do because the trails that have been blazed by other women."

She said when she talks to groups of young women, she always encourages them to get involved in politics - whether it's running for office, working in a campaign, or simply voting for their preferred candidates.

"We've got to get more young women thinking that even if they don't run for office, they have to become more engaged in the public process," she said.

"Kentucky has so many important challenges, difficult challenges, which will take all of our people to solve."

Part of the reason for the increase in female judges is that the governors who appointed judges over the past decade specifically sought out and considered women for the positions, said Linda Bramlage, a family court judge in Boone County.

She also said the increase mirrored the creation and expansion of the family court system, which some saw as a natural for women who practiced family law.

Gov. Ernie Fletcher does make an effort to keep a diverse justice system when making his appointment, said Press Secretary Jodi Whitaker.

"The governor is committed to appointing the best and the brightest, with a sensitivity to appointing women and minorities," she said.

Bramlage said the increase comes at a time when more women are seeking political office and positions of power and authority.

"It's more acceptable now for people to vote for women judges," she said.

Bramlage was appointed to her position in 1998, and twice won re-election. She said as more women come on board, speaking to her colleagues has gotten easier.

While male and female judges show no difference in the legal aspects, she said, she sometimes just finds it easier to speak to women about other issues.