Impeached Fayette County Circuit Judge Julie Muth Goodman is asking the Kentucky Court of Appeals to step in and pause the impeachment process as her case moves toward a potential Senate trial.
Goodman filed an emergency motion after a lower court declined to block the proceedings initiated earlier this year. Shortly after that decision, the Kentucky House of Representatives voted 73-14 to impeach her, sending the case to the Senate for further action.
Her impeachment stems from a petition filed in January by former state lawmaker Killian Timoney, who alleges Goodman mishandled multiple cases and abused her authority. Goodman and her legal team strongly deny the accusations, and some legal experts have expressed concern about the broader implications of the impeachment.
Before the House vote, Goodman had asked a Franklin County Circuit Court to halt the process, arguing that her constitutional right to due process was being violated. However, Judge Phillip Shepherd rejected the request, stating that intervening would interfere with the separation of powers between branches of government.
While denying the motion, Shepherd acknowledged that Goodman raised legitimate concerns. He also criticized Kimberly Baird, saying she pursued her complaints in impeachment hearings rather than through established judicial oversight channels like the Judicial Conduct Commission.
After the House committee advanced the impeachment, Goodman renewed her request for intervention, but Shepherd again denied it. Her attorneys then escalated the matter to the Court of Appeals, seeking expedited relief.
Meanwhile, Russell Coleman responded by calling the request moot and emphasized that decisions regarding impeachment and removal from office fall solely within the authority of the state legislature.
Later developments indicated that the Court of Appeals denied Goodman’s request, stating that the Kentucky Supreme Court would ultimately decide whether the proceedings could be stopped.
As the legal battle continues, the case is drawing significant attention due to its potential impact on judicial independence and the limits of legislative power in impeachment matters.