Kentucky Law

Hostilities between a local activist and the Clark County Board of Education escalated recently when Joan Graves accused the school district of tampering with a recording of one of its meetings and suggested employees had committed a felony in doing so. Graves' accusations brought a strong denial from both the Board and its attorney. Shortly after the Board's June 19 meeting, Graves, spokesperson for Stand UP Clark County, sent a letter to Board members and the school district complaining about the quality and content of a video of the meeting that was later uploaded on the district's website.

Regional law-enforcement agencies worked in conjunction with the United States Marshal Service last month to make sure that some 204 registered sex offenders were in compliance with registry requirements. At a press conference Thursday at the Garrard County Justice Center, U.S. Marshal Loren Carl, with the Eastern District of Kentucky, said the two-day compliance check - code named Operation Lincoln Trail - netted 12 arrests of sex offenders either being noncompliant or in violation of terms of release.

Tuesday, Teresa Robbins, speaking on behalf of a group of library patrons, asked the Lincoln County Fiscal Court to fire the five members of the Library Board citing the court's power under Kentucky law to do so in cases of inefficiency, neglect of duty, malfeasance or conflict of interest. County Attorney Daryl Day advised the court not to immediately vote on the issue saying that members of the board, like all citizens, have a right to due process which would include a public hearing which could be a lengthy process.

I found myself back in the classroom when I attended the first session of the local Citizen's Police Academy. It almost felt like syllabus day at UK again, and I have to admit (turn on your nerd alerts now), it felt good. The police academy, in its third year after skipping 2011, aims to educate community members on the challenges and responsibilities of the local law enforcement officers. The Winchester Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff's Office are leading the program.

Dear Editor: I believe the majority of people would agree that the fundamental purpose behind all laws is to be just and fair. I am writing to implore people to become aware of the Kentucky Fence Law, and I am urging our public officials to be diligent in making changes to this law to make it fair for all parties involved. At present, the law states that landowners in agricultural areas share in the cost of fencing for livestock. Consider this scenario: A landowner who owns 3.5 acres and is not allowed to own any type of livestock (horses, cattle, etc.)

The charges were dismissed, but the allegations from an April dog shooting will continue with a new defendant. Animal cruelty charges were dropped against Natasha Meadows Monday afternoon after prosecutors received information that someone else shot the dog in question. The shooting occurred April 14 on Cherokee Court, where 29-year-old Natasha Meadows admitted to shooting the dog in the back with a pellet gun. Since then, others have come forward with a different story and said someone else killed the dog, Clark County Attorney Brian Thomas said.

Cox sentenced to five years A former youth softball assistant coach was sentenced to five years in prison for sex-related crimes involving a minor. Linville Cox received his sentencing Sept. 12 before Circuit Judge Hunter Daugherty. In July, Cox pleaded guilty to one count of sodomy, a Class B felony, and one count of sexual abuse, a Class B misdemeanor. Cox was arrested Nov. 16, 2007, after a Nicholasville police officer noticed a suspicious car parked near the softball fields at City-County Park.

The Labor Day holiday weekend marks the end of summer vacation season and the Kentucky State Police are expecting increased traffic on the state's roadways. To help save lives, KSP will be maximizing its traffic enforcement activities beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday Aug. 29 and continuing through 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 1, 2008. Kentucky State Police are urging drivers to keep our roadways safe by slowing down and buckling up while they travel. According to Lt. Col. Mike Sapp, KSP Dir. of Operations, Troopers will also be on the lookout for motorists who violate posted speed limits and ignore Kentucky's primary seat belt law. "No warnings will be issued," he says.

LANCASTER - Garrard County Fiscal Court voted to strip two constables of their badges and blue lights Wednesday after the men reportedly overstepped their authority at a man's home over the weekend. According to Judge-Executive John Wilson, Constables Mike Mullins and Brad Smith will be asked to hand over their badges, blue lights and sirens and are prohibited from using the radio frequency used by law enforcement officials in Garrard County. The unanimous vote was taken during a special meeting after magistrates spent more than an hour behind closed doors.

STANFORD - One of the suspects in the 2002 double murder of Ryan Shangraw and Bo Upton, hooded and protected by body armor, was transferred Tuesday from the Lincoln County Regional Jail to the Lincoln County Judicial Center, where he was scheduled to appear before a juvenile judge. Although he's an adult now, the suspect was 16 when the crimes occurred and is currently considered a juvenile under Kentucky law and protected by the juvenile justice code. Authorities haven't identified the suspect, and the hearing was closed to the public and the media.