Lelah Rogers, a longtime public defender and trial attorney, has announced her candidacy for Daviess District Court, Division 1 judge. She cited a desire to make a broader impact on the justice system and address underlying issues that repeatedly bring people into court.
Rogers has worked as a public defender for more than 20 years, representing clients in district criminal and traffic cases, juvenile court, and circuit and family courts in Daviess and Ohio counties. She said her experience has shown her both the limits of her current role and the opportunities that exist at the district court level to influence outcomes earlier.
“As a public defender, I have been fighting for families for a long time, but the truth is, you don’t have as much authority to change things,” Rogers said. “You only have so much power. As a judge, you have more ability to help create options and work toward solutions.”
Much of Rogers’s motivation centers on juvenile cases and what she describes as a recurring cycle she has witnessed throughout her career. She said many young people in the court system come from unstable family situations and, in some cases, remain in detention not because they have committed violent crimes, but because there are limited safe alternatives.
“We have kids sitting in detention not because they’re violent, but because there’s nowhere else to put them,” Rogers said. “That’s not anyone’s fault. It’s a lack of options.”
Rogers said similar challenges exist in district court cases involving adults, particularly those struggling with addiction, mental health issues, or homelessness. She said limited resources can leave individuals incarcerated longer than necessary simply because appropriate placements or services are unavailable.
“The majority of people we see are addicts carrying a lot of baggage,” she said. “And then we see their kids in juvenile court. That cycle keeps repeating.”
Rogers said district court offers an opportunity to intervene earlier and potentially prevent people from returning to the system.
“My goal is to keep people out of the courtrooms,” she said. “I don’t want them coming back over and over again.”
Rogers said she believes accountability and compassion are not mutually exclusive. She said being heard by a judge can make a meaningful difference for defendants, even when accountability includes consequences.
“Being seen and heard matters,” she said. “It makes a difference for children and adults to know that someone is listening and that they are not invisible.”
A graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law, Rogers began her legal career in Owensboro in 2005 with the Department of Public Advocacy, where she continues to work. She has experience in jury and bench trials, as well as complex criminal litigation and civil contempt hearings.
Rogers grew up in California and earned her undergraduate degree in English from UCLA before working as a paralegal. She later moved to Kentucky to attend law school and now lives in Owensboro, where she and her husband are raising five children.
Rogers said district court, which handles misdemeanor criminal cases, small civil matters, and juvenile cases, is where judges can have a significant impact on community outcomes.
“If you really want to shape a community and make a difference, even if it’s just for a few people, that happens in district court,” she said. “That’s the whole point.”
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