LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A former Kentucky lawmaker has filed a petition seeking the impeachment of Circuit Judge Julie Goodman, alleging she has "abused her office to such an extent" that she has undermined public confidence in the judicial process.
According to court documents, former State Rep. Killian Timoney submitted the petition on Wednesday to the Kentucky House of Representatives, citing six cases where he claims Goodman engaged in "misdemeanors in office" warranting her removal from the bench in the 22nd Judicial District in Fayette County.
The petition centers on several high-profile cases where appellate courts unanimously reversed Goodman's rulings, including a murder case involving a fatal car crash and multiple instances where higher courts criticized her judicial conduct.
According to the documents, the most prominent case cited involves Commonwealth v. Cornell Denmark Thomas III, where Goodman dismissed murder charges against a defendant who allegedly drove 96 mph through a red light, killing Tammy Botkins in a collision that "severed Ms. Botkin's torso."
Goodman dismissed the indictment, claiming the prosecutor—an African American woman—unfairly targeted Thomas because he is African American, according
to the documents. She cited her "15-year tenure on the bench" and alleged a pattern of unequal charging decisions.
The Kentucky Court of Appeals unanimously reversed her dismissal in a 108-page opinion, calling her order "fraught with legal errors and abuses of both its discretion and its authority."
"The fallacies the trial court embraces are legion," the appellate court wrote, adding that Goodman conducted a "judicial ambush" and "abused its power in a way that reflects poorly on the judiciary as a whole."
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The petition details five additional cases where Goodman's rulings were overturned or criticized.
According to the documents, Timoney argues Goodman's conduct constitutes "misdemeanors in office" under Sections 66 and 68 of the Kentucky Constitution, citing "violations of statutory law, refusal to obey binding legal precedents, outrageous demonstrations of bias, disregard of the separation of powers, and egregious pattern of judicial activism."
The Kentucky Constitution allows for the impeachment of judges for misdemeanors in office, with removal requiring action by both the House and Senate.
The petition was received by House Clerk Melissa Bybee-Fields on Tuesday. The House would need to vote on whether to proceed with impeachment proceedings.
