Leigh Jackson on Friday filed to run for Daviess Circuit Court Judge, and with her 24 years of experience — predominantly in circuit court cases — she feels this is the next best step to serving the community.
Gov. Andy Beshear appointed former Circuit Court Judge Lisa Payne to an interim Court of Appeals position earlier this year, leaving the Daviess Circuit Court position vacant. Payne is seeking election to the Court of Appeals seat this November.
Jackson said that over time, she has learned firsthand from clients the challenges that appear within the community regarding the court systems. She said this manifests in the criminal justice system, mental illness, substance abuse, and poverty, among other spaces.
“I’m definitely looking forward to working with drug court and mental health court because I think they provide a fantastic transitional program for people who’ve been in jail and maybe had never realized that they had a mental health issue or that they needed substance abuse help,” Jackson said.
As it pertains to juveniles in the community, she has seen the rise of juvenile violence and wants to work with groups in the community to provide help to the youth. Doing so, she said, will minimize the criminal justice system’s impact on them and keep them from causing more harm to the community at large.
She said Daviess County’s different sub-courts — such as mental health, drug, and juvenile court — are an asset.
“Mental health court has been integral to helping people get into programming that they need to be successful in the community, which makes our community safer. It’s better for everybody,” Jackson said.
Additionally, Jackson said that while she has worked as a defense attorney, having a positive relationship with the jailers and law enforcement will be important in the position.
Through her current relationships, she said she knows there are hurdles that law enforcement currently face with overcrowding, jail staff, and mental health throughout the profession.
“We all have to work together for the community problem, and I think the best place for me to contribute is from the bench,” Jackson said.
