Chief Circuit Court Judge Lisa Jones’ name will be on the November ballot as she seeks the First Appellate District, Division 2 seat. With that seat currently vacant, Jones is one of three nominees who could be appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear to fill the position until the election.
Beshear has less than 60 days to make an appointment. If he does not make a decision, Chief Justice of Kentucky Laurance B. VanMeter will do so instead. Even if Jones is not appointed to the interim position, she still has a chance to win the seat in November’s election.
Jones said she is excited to have the chance to serve.
“If I get the appointment, that would be wonderful, and I would be honored and flattered. I would start doing that work as soon as possible. But I still would have to win the election in November [to keep the position],” Jones said.
Jones initially filed for the position in November after serving 22 years in Daviess County District and Circuit courts.
Since entering her judgeship, she has been an advocate for the courts. Jones said that as a judge, it is often paramount to be familiar with cases that are being decided for everyday practice. With this knowledge and experience, she said it’s even more important that the Commonwealth’s top judges continue to uphold a certain standard.
“It’s important [those in] our non-trial court judicial positions realize you’ve got judges and lawyers throughout the state looking to you for guidance on what to do. It may be the most obscure or seemingly inconsequential issue, but to the people who are having to decide what’s important and to the judges who want to make a good decision, it’s important to have precedent,” Jones said.
A common misconception, Jones said, is that the Kentucky Supreme Court is where cases go to be appealed. In fact, it is the Appellate Court that sets precedent for many cases.
Jones was recently interviewed by the nominating committee, when she was asked to provide her background and, most importantly, her balance of criminal, civil, family, and appellate work. As Chief Circuit Court Judge, she often handles cases in all areas.
Given the nature of the court, though, Jones said she would not be as forward-facing as she is now. That won’t stop her from being connected to the communities she would serve, including Owensboro.
“I already [volunteer] with the Mental Health Committee and Certification Advisory Committee, which is working on uniform rules for our specialty courts throughout the state. So, I would see myself continuing to do that, which gives you that interaction with other judges and community members. So I still see myself advocating for the courts, the Commonwealth, and Western Kentucky, not just Daviess County,” Jones said.
Should she receive the position, Jones said she would not have to relocate her office from Daviess County, though she will have to travel to Frankfort occasionally for a hearing. Her seat would preside over 24 Western Kentucky counties; at times, she may have to work with judges from other counties and regions.
Likewise, if she were to be appointed, she said they would coordinate her schedule with the Appellate Court to ensure she could fulfill both responsibilities adequately.
