(WKYT) – On the final day of the legislative session, the Kentucky House and Senate filed separate resolutions, censuring Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Kelly Thompson.
Justice Thompson filed a concurring opinion to the Supreme Court’s ruling, terminating the impeachment of Fayette County Circuit Judge Julie Goodman. The Supreme Court’s ruling terminated the impeachment against the Lexington judge.
House Resolution 141 and Senate Resolution 305 say Justice Thompson’s opinion “threatened attorneys and legislators participating in pending impeachment proceedings with professional discipline and criminal prosecution.”
HR 141 and SR 305 also call on the director of the Legislative Research Commission to file a complaint against Justice Thompson with the Judicial Conduct Commission.
The resolutions come one day after the Senate suspended the impeachment proceedings against Judge Goodman. An impeachment trial was originally scheduled to begin on April 16, one day after the end of the legislative session.
Senate President Robert Stivers called the Supreme Court’s opinion an encroachment on the Senate’s constitutional responsibility. A motion to place a stay on the Senate impeachment proceedings passed a committee unanimously Wednesday morning. The Senate has said it wants to hear findings of the Judicial Conduct Commission on Judge Goodman.
“And if it is necessary that the Senate take that matter up, we can always do that next session, if necessary,” said Sen. Brandon Storm.
On Wednesday, the House also filed House Resolution 140, calling the Supreme Court’s opinion “unconstitutional”.