Kentucky Law Review

PENDING: House Bill 440 (Increase regulation of agreements between insurance companies and doctors)

Reported in the House on February 27, 2008, favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar.
http://www.kentuckyvotes.org/Legislation.aspx?ID=58424

PENDING BILLS: "Bill would give voting rights to some felons"

From Courier Journal, 2/19/2008:

Bill would give voting rights to some felons

At age 69, former felon Allen Barnett had his voting rights restored by then-Gov. Paul Patton in 2002.

Judicial Candidate Web Sites: Judge Pat Day, Hopkins County Family Court

Judge Pat Day, candidate for Hopkins County Family Court Judge, has a web site at:  http://www.JudgePatDay.com.

Op-Ed: More on Senior Status Judges and Run for Retirement - Comment from Reader

Requiring Senior Judge applicants to first COMPLETE their last elected term would reduce the run of early retirement judges and provide the voters judges who will "honor" the commitment made when they sought the office. We should not be "rewarding" judges who quite early in order to pad their pocketbooks. [Reader's Comment to this "blog"}

Pat Crowley Doesn't Get it.... why not?

This story by Pat Crowley in the Enquirer today was a bit disturbing - Judicial contests become partisan.

Pat makes a big deal about political parties endorsing various judicial candidates and including the names of the candidates in party mailers.

Although my own personal opinion is against partisanship dalliance in judicial elections, that is not the law....... today at least.

Hmmmm.  Wasn't it Republican Marcus Carey who brought down the partisan walls of Jericho trumpeting the horn of free speech?  And of course, this ruling is not final either.

Well the rights of free speech exist for the candidates and the voters and the groups who support the candidates.

The mere fact that a voter or party or particular group may support or endorse a candidate reflects only and soley upon the supporter and not the candidate. 

To assume otherwise in the absence of any other facts is inaccurate.

In the absence of the candidate pushing the endorsement, announcing a view, or plastering the policital partisanship in ads, then a party mailer has nothing to do with the candidate.   Just as removing a yard sign as litter on the rights of way in the city.

Surely no one expects a candidate to tell a group of voters to back off???!!!   Silence is completely appropriate.

Bad judgment on the political party for the mailing is accurate, but claiming bad judgment on the part of the candidate who is mentioned in the mailing is wrong. 

Just as a judicial candidate cannot stop me writing letters to my friends and acquaintances to vote for him or his opponent, a judicial candidate can't stop a political party from doing what it does in politics. 

And that my friends is why I advocate judicial appointments and not elections.

Here's the story.

Judicial contests become partisan
Around Northern Kentucky
Northern Kentucky politics crossed a line this campaign season.

by Pat Crowley, Cin. Enquirer

Ky Judicial Web Sites: Judge Michael Henry for Court of Appeals

Judge Mike Henry
Kentucky Court of Appeals, 3rd District (Somerset)
Web site:  www.keepjudgehenry.com

Judicial Campaign Web Site: Karem for Judge (Jefferson County)

Here is a link to Annette Karem's web site:  www.KaremForJudge.com

Candidate for Jefferson District Court, Division One

Campaign Web Sites: Shelly Knopf - Candidate for Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk

Here is a link to the campaign web site of Shelly Knopf who is a candidate for Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk.  The election is on Nov. 7, 2006 and all residents of Jefferson County are eligible to vote in this race.

Shelly Knopf for Jefferson Circuit Court Clerk

http://www.electshellyknopf.com

Judicial Campaign Sites: Pamela Rochester - Jefferson Circuit Court, Div.

Pamela Rochester's Web Site for Jefferson Circuit Court Judge
http://www.Pamela4Judge.com

Judicial Web Sites: Peter B. Coughlan - Candidate for Court of Appeals, Dist. 6, Div. 2

Peter B. Coughlan
Candidate for Judge, Kentucky Court of Appeals, 6th Appellate District, 2d Division, http://www.petercoughlan.com - web site