Judicial Selection in the States: Kentucky
Overview
A federal appeals court on Tuesday cleared the way for Kentucky judicial candidates to raise money and run with political party affiliations, but ordered a...
A set of tables that provide detailed information about selection...
The Kentucky judiciary consists of a supreme court, court of appeals, circuit court, and district court. A 1976 revision of the judicial article created a unified court system known as the court of justice and established nonpartisan elections for judges. Judges of the supreme court, court of appeals, and circuit court are elected to eight-year terms, and district court judges are elected to four-year terms. When a mid-term judicial vacancy occurs, the governor appoints a replacement from a list submitted by a judicial nominating commission.