Speciality Courts

The Department of Specialty Courts oversees the Drug Court, Mental Health Court and Veterans Treatment Court programs. Collectively referred to as Specialty Courts, these programs are similarly structured and supervised and have the same goal – to give participants the opportunity to overcome substance use disorder and make a positive change in their lives.

All the programs provide oversight by a judge along with case management, treatment and drug testing.

Specialty Courts help individuals charged with nonviolent felony and misdemeanor offenses who are eligible for diversion and/or probation and are identified by screening tools as being high risk and high need.

The foundation of a successful Specialty Court program is its multidisciplinary team. The judge leads a team of Specialty Court staff, defense attorneys, prosecutors, treatment providers and law enforcement officers. Specialty Court staff create case management plans for participants and monitor their progress. Judges volunteer their time to serve Specialty Court programs.

Specialty Courts operate as part of the Administrative Office of the Courts, which pays for treatment, drug testing and case management. There is no cost to participants.

These programs offer substantial benefits to individuals and society by reducing recidivism, cutting incarceration costs, decreasing medical costs, and improving child support and tax revenue as participants gain employment. In addition, the devastating cycle of generational criminal behavior and addiction is broken as participants become healthy, productive members of their communities.​

Department of Specialty Courts Directory
CountyType
(District/Circuit/Combo)
Track
(DC, VTC, MHC)
Presiding Judge(s)
Region 1
Hickman/FultonComboDCJudge Hunter Whitesell
GravesCircuitDCJudge Kevin Bishop
56th JudicalCircuitDCJudge Natalie White
ChristianCircuitDCJudge Andrew Self and Judge John Atkins
ChristianComboVTCJudge Foster Cotthoff
HopkinsCircuitDCJudge David Massamore
CallowayCircuitDCJudge James Jamison
MarshallCircuitDCJudge James Jamison
Region 2
AllenCircuitDCJudge Mark Thurmond
BarrenCircuitDCJudge John Alexander
BreckenridgeCircuitDCJudge Bruce Butler/ Judge Kenneth Goff
ButlerCircuitDCJudge Tim Coleman
Crittenden/Union/Crittenden               ComboComboDCJudge Rene Williams
DaviessCircuitDCJudge Lisa Jones
EdmonsonCircuitDCJudge Tim Coleman
GraysonCircuitDCJudge Bruce Butler/ Judge Kenneth Goff
Hart, Nelson, LarueCircuitDCJudge Charles Simms
HancockDistrictDCJudge John McCarty
HendersonComboDCJudge Karen Wilson
MeadeCircuitDCJudge Bruce Butler/ Judge Kenneth Goff
Muhlenberg/McLeanCircuitDCJudge Brian Wiggins
OhioDistrictDCJudge John McCarty
WarrenCircuitDCJudge John Grise
Region 3
AllenCircuitDCJudge Mark Thurmond
SimpsonCircuitDCJudge Mark Thurmond
Barren/MetcalfeCircuitDCJudge John Alexander
WarrenCircuitDCJudge John Grise
AdairComboDCJudge Judy Vance-Murphy
CaseyComboDCJudge Judy Vance-Murphy
Clay, Jackson, LeslieCircuitRecovery CtJudge Clint Harris
ClintonCircuitDCJudge Kristi Castillo
CumberlandCircuitDCJudge Kristi Castillo
MonroeCircuitDCJudge Kristi Castillo
LoganCircuitDCJudge Joe Hendricks
ToddCircuitDCJudge Joe Hendricks
Region 4
Taylor/Green/Marion/washingtonDistrictDCJudge Amy Anderson
HardinCircuitDCJudge Kelly Mark Easton
HardinCircuitDC & MHCJudge John Simcoe
Hardin VTCDistrictVTC & DCJudge Kimberly Shumate
Hardin MHCCircuitMHCJudge John Simcoe
Hardin MHCCircuitMHCJudge Kelly Mark Easton
Region 5
JeffersonCircuitDCJudge Ann Bailey-Smith
JeffersonComboDCJudge Stephanie Burke
JeffersonCircuitVTCJudge Mitch Perry
JeffersonCircuitDCJudge Eric Haner
JeffersonCircuitRecovery CtDenise Brown, Angela Johnson, Lauren Ogden, Derwinn Webb
JeffersonCircuitDCJudge Mary Shaw
FranklinCircuitDCJudge Phillip Shepherd/Thomas Wingate
OwenComboDCJudge R.Leslie Knight
Region 6
BooneCircuitDCJudge James Schrand
BooneCircuitMHCJudge Richard Brueggemann
BooneComboVTCJudge Jeff Smith
CampbellComboDCJudge Karen Thomas & Judge Cameron Blau
CampbellComboVTCJudge Cameron Blau
Carrol, Grant, OwenCircuitDCJudge Leslie Knight
HarrisonDistrictDCJudge Charles Kuster
HarrisonCircuitDCJudge Jay Delaney
KentonCircuitDCJudge Patricia Summe
KentonComboVTCJudge Anne Ruttle
KentonCircuitRecovery CtJudge Christopher Mehling and Judge Acena Beck
KentonCircuitMHCJudge Kathy Lape
MasonCircuitDCJudge Stockton Wood
Oldham, Henry and TrimbleCircuitDCJudge Jerry Crosby
PendletonDistrictDCJudge Charles Kuster
PendletonCircuitDCJudge Jay Delaney
ScottDistrictDCJudge Sarah Hays
ScottCircuitDCJudge Katie Gabhart
Shelby, Spencer, AndersonCircuitDCJudge Charles Hickman
Region 7
Boyle/MercerTBDDCJudge Jeff Dotson
ClarkDistrictDCJudge Robert Jennings
ClarkCircuitDCJudge Cole Maier
FayetteDistrictDCJudge Lindsay Hughes-Thurston
FayetteCircuitDCJudge Tracy Brislin
FayetteCircuitVTCJudge Thomas Travis
FayetteCircuitDCJudge Libby Messer
FayetteCircuitDCJudge Kimberly Bunnell
GarrardComboDCJudge Janet Booth
JessamineComboDCJudge Janet Booth
MadisonDistrictDCJudge Charles Hardin
MadisonCircuitDCJudge Brandy Brown
Region 8
BellDistrictDCJudge Robert Yoakum
BellCircuitDCJudge Robert Costanzo
HarlanDistrictDCJudge Scott Lisenbee
HarlanCircuitDCJudge Kent Hendrickson
KnoxDistrictDCJudge John Chappell Jan-July and Judge Wendall Hammons Aug-Dec
Laurel/KnoxCircuitDCJudge Gregory Lay
Lincoln/RockcastleComboDCJudge Marcus Vanover and Judge Teresa Whitaker
PulaskiComboDCJudge Marcus Vanover and Judge Teresa Whitaker
WayneCircuitDCJudge Vernon Miniard
RussellCircuitDCJudge Vernon Miniard
McCrearyCircuitDCJudge Paul Winchester
WhitleyCircuitDCJudge Paul Winchester
Region 9
BreathittCircuitDCJudge Lisa Whisman
PowellCircuitDCJudge Lisa Whisman
WolfeCircuitDCJudge Lisa Whisman
ClayCircuitDCJudge Oscar House
JacksonCircuitDCJudge Oscar House
LeslieCircuitDCJudge Henria-Bailey Lewis
FloydCircuitDCJudge Tom Smith/Judge Johnny Ray Harris
FloydDistrictDCJudge Eric Hall
FloydVTCVTCJudge Jimmy Marcum
KnottCircuitDCJudge Kim Childers
MagoffinCircuitDCJudge Kim Childers
Lee/OwsleyCircuitDCJudge Michael Dean
EstillCircuitDCJudge Michael Dean
LetcherCircuitDCJudge Jimmy Craft
PerryCircuitDC & Recovery CtJudge Alison Wells