Kentucky
Kentucky’s highest court is the Supreme Court of Kentucky. The court has six associate justices and one chief justice, who is selected by the other justices to serve a four-year term.(Source: Kentucky Supreme Court; Kentucky Constitution)
Judicial Selection
Justices on the Supreme Court of Kentucky are chosen through a nonpartisan election, where multiple candidates may vie for the seat. The elected justice serves an eight-year term and may seek additional terms through a nonpartisan election. When a seat on the court opens in the middle of a justice’s term, the governor appoints a judge from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission. If the unexpired term ends at Kentucky’s next election, the appointed justice serves the remainder of the term. However, if the unexpired term does not end at Kentucky’s next election, the appointed justice holds office until the next election if the vacancy occurs more than three months prior to the next election, or the second succeeding election if the vacancy occurs less than three months before the next election. There are no term limits, nor is there a mandatory retirement age.
State Constitution
Kentucky has had four constitutions adopted between 1792 and 1891. As of January 1, 2024, it had 43 amendments. (Source: John Dinan, 2024)
Filters
Where Abortion Rights Could Be on the Ballot in 2024
As many as 14 states could have abortion-related constitutional amendments on the ballot this year.
State Courts Can and Should Do More to Protect Voters
State constitutional clauses collectively elevate the status of voters as a group, giving state courts a strong reason to use a separation of powers analogy against efforts to curtail voting rights.
State Supreme Court Elections to Watch in 2024
Key races in Michigan, Montana, Kentucky, and Ohio will shape state law on reproductive rights, criminal justice, and much more.
Post-Dobbs State Judicial Races Broke Spending Records
New analysis of 2022 elections shows state judicial elections saw almost double the amount of money than any other prior midterm cycle.
A Conversation About Abortion Rights and the Future of State Constitutions
A retired state supreme court justice, a reproductive rights scholar, and the director of the Brennan Center’s Judiciary Program discuss the role of state courts after the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that there is no federal constitutional right to abortion.
Status of Partisan Gerrymandering Litigation in State Courts
Kentucky Supreme Court Weighs Partisan Gerrymandering
Voters are increasingly turning to state constitutions to fight partisan gerrymandering. Will the Kentucky Supreme Court be the next to greenlight such claims?
State Courts Diverge on Allowing Civil Claims for Child Sexual Abuse Outside Statute of Limitations