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Clark gets new district judgeship

January 18, 2007|Emily Salmon

The Kentucky General Assembly has created a new judgeship for the 25th Judicial District that will serve Clark and Madison counties.The legislation that created the additional bench position is House Bill 232.

According to Lisa Thurman, executive secretary for the state Judicial Nominating Commission, vacancy notices will go out to all qualifying attorneys in Clark and Madison counties sometime soon. Those who are interested or want to recommend someone can call or write a request.

A judicial nominating committee will select three individuals from among those who are interested, and Gov. Ernie Fletcher will make the ultimate decision.

So far, three men have filed to be considered, according to the Secretary of State's Web site.

Earl Ray Neal of Richmond, who was defeated in a district judge's race by incumbent Judge Brandy Oliver Brown in the November election, filed for the position the day the vacancy was announced, Jan. 2.

He has a "keen interest" in the judgeship, he said, pointing to the fact that he just ran for the office last year.

Neal is the domestic relations commissioner and master commissioner of the 23rd Judicial Circuit and is a founding partner of Davis & Neal law firm in Richmond. He is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University and the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law in Michigan.

Most of his 11 years spent practicing law has been in district court, and that makes him the best person for the job, he said.

"I think I'm uniquely qualified for this position," he remarked.

He is a member of the City of Richmond Ethics Commission and serves on the board of directors of the Burrier Child Development Program at EKU.

Neal has been married to his wife, Holly, for 10 years, and they have a 5-year-old son, Ethan.

Two other Richmond men, Jud Patterson and Thomas J. Smith III, are also vying for the judgeship. Both men were unavailable for comment this morning.

Smith is a former commonwealth's attorney and current assistant commonwealth's attorney for the 25th Judicial Circuit.

To qualify for the position of district judge, a person must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of both Kentucky and the district from which he or she is elected for two years next preceding their taking office and licensed to practice law in the courts of Kentucky, and a licensed attorney for at least two years, according to the Web site for Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson. The filing fee is $200.

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