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.
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County | Type (District/Circuit/Combo) | Track (DC, VTC, MHC) | Presiding Judge(s) | ||||
Region 1 | |||||||
Hickman/Fulton | Combo | DC | Judge Hunter Whitesell | ||||
Graves | Circuit | DC | Judge Kevin Bishop | ||||
56th Judical | Circuit | DC | Judge Natalie White | ||||
Christian | Circuit | DC | Judge Andrew Self and Judge John Atkins | ||||
Christian | Combo | VTC | Judge Foster Cotthoff | ||||
Hopkins | Circuit | DC | Judge David Massamore | ||||
Calloway | Circuit | DC | Judge James Jamison | ||||
Marshall | Circuit | DC | Judge James Jamison | ||||
Region 2 | |||||||
Allen | Circuit | DC | Judge Mark Thurmond | ||||
Barren | Circuit | DC | Judge John Alexander | ||||
Breckenridge | Circuit | DC | Judge Bruce Butler/ Judge Kenneth Goff | ||||
Butler | Circuit | DC | Judge Tim Coleman | ||||
Crittenden/Union/Crittenden Combo | Combo | DC | Judge Rene Williams | ||||
Daviess | Circuit | DC | Judge Lisa Jones | ||||
Edmonson | Circuit | DC | Judge Tim Coleman | ||||
Grayson | Circuit | DC | Judge Bruce Butler/ Judge Kenneth Goff | ||||
Hart, Nelson, Larue | Circuit | DC | Judge Charles Simms | ||||
Hancock | District | DC | Judge John McCarty | ||||
Henderson | Combo | DC | Judge Karen Wilson | ||||
Meade | Circuit | DC | Judge Bruce Butler/ Judge Kenneth Goff | ||||
Muhlenberg/McLean | Circuit | DC | Judge Brian Wiggins | ||||
Ohio | District | DC | Judge John McCarty | ||||
Warren | Circuit | DC | Judge John Grise | ||||
Region 3 | |||||||
Allen | Circuit | DC | Judge Mark Thurmond | ||||
Simpson | Circuit | DC | Judge Mark Thurmond | ||||
Barren/Metcalfe | Circuit | DC | Judge John Alexander | ||||
Warren | Circuit | DC | Judge John Grise | ||||
Adair | Combo | DC | Judge Judy Vance-Murphy | ||||
Casey | Combo | DC | Judge Judy Vance-Murphy | ||||
Clay, Jackson, Leslie | Circuit | Recovery Ct | Judge Clint Harris | ||||
Clinton | Circuit | DC | Judge Kristi Castillo | ||||
Cumberland | Circuit | DC | Judge Kristi Castillo | ||||
Monroe | Circuit | DC | Judge Kristi Castillo | ||||
Logan | Circuit | DC | Judge Joe Hendricks | ||||
Todd | Circuit | DC | Judge Joe Hendricks | ||||
Region 4 | |||||||
Taylor/Green/Marion/washington | District | DC | Judge Amy Anderson | ||||
Hardin | Circuit | DC | Judge Kelly Mark Easton | ||||
Hardin | Circuit | DC & MHC | Judge John Simcoe | ||||
Hardin VTC | District | VTC & DC | Judge Kimberly Shumate | ||||
Hardin MHC | Circuit | MHC | Judge John Simcoe | ||||
Hardin MHC | Circuit | MHC | Judge Kelly Mark Easton | ||||
Region 5 | |||||||
Jefferson | Circuit | DC | Judge Ann Bailey-Smith | ||||
Jefferson | Combo | DC | Judge Stephanie Burke | ||||
Jefferson | Circuit | VTC | Judge Mitch Perry | ||||
Jefferson | Circuit | DC | Judge Eric Haner | ||||
Jefferson | Circuit | Recovery Ct | Denise Brown, Angela Johnson, Lauren Ogden, Derwinn Webb | ||||
Jefferson | Circuit | DC | Judge Mary Shaw | ||||
Franklin | Circuit | DC | Judge Phillip Shepherd/Thomas Wingate | ||||
Owen | Combo | DC | Judge R.Leslie Knight | ||||
Region 6 | |||||||
Boone | Circuit | DC | Judge James Schrand | ||||
Boone | Circuit | MHC | Judge Richard Brueggemann | ||||
Boone | Combo | VTC | Judge Jeff Smith | ||||
Campbell | Combo | DC | Judge Karen Thomas & Judge Cameron Blau | ||||
Campbell | Combo | VTC | Judge Cameron Blau | ||||
Carrol, Grant, Owen | Circuit | DC | Judge Leslie Knight | ||||
Harrison | District | DC | Judge Charles Kuster | ||||
Harrison | Circuit | DC | Judge Jay Delaney | ||||
Kenton | Circuit | DC | Judge Patricia Summe | ||||
Kenton | Combo | VTC | Judge Anne Ruttle | ||||
Kenton | Circuit | Recovery Ct | Judge Christopher Mehling and Judge Acena Beck | ||||
Kenton | Circuit | MHC | Judge Kathy Lape | ||||
Mason | Circuit | DC | Judge Stockton Wood | ||||
Oldham, Henry and Trimble | Circuit | DC | Judge Jerry Crosby | ||||
Pendleton | District | DC | Judge Charles Kuster | ||||
Pendleton | Circuit | DC | Judge Jay Delaney | ||||
Scott | District | DC | Judge Sarah Hays | ||||
Scott | Circuit | DC | Judge Katie Gabhart | ||||
Shelby, Spencer, Anderson | Circuit | DC | Judge Charles Hickman | ||||
Region 7 | |||||||
Boyle/Mercer | TBD | DC | Judge Jeff Dotson | ||||
Clark | District | DC | Judge Robert Jennings | ||||
Clark | Circuit | DC | Judge Cole Maier | ||||
Fayette | District | DC | Judge Lindsay Hughes-Thurston | ||||
Fayette | Circuit | DC | Judge Tracy Brislin | ||||
Fayette | Circuit | VTC | Judge Thomas Travis | ||||
Fayette | Circuit | DC | Judge Libby Messer | ||||
Fayette | Circuit | DC | Judge Kimberly Bunnell | ||||
Garrard | Combo | DC | Judge Janet Booth | ||||
Jessamine | Combo | DC | Judge Janet Booth | ||||
Madison | District | DC | Judge Charles Hardin | ||||
Madison | Circuit | DC | Judge Brandy Brown | ||||
Region 8 | |||||||
Bell | District | DC | Judge Robert Yoakum | ||||
Bell | Circuit | DC | Judge Robert Costanzo | ||||
Harlan | District | DC | Judge Scott Lisenbee | ||||
Harlan | Circuit | DC | Judge Kent Hendrickson | ||||
Knox | District | DC | Judge John Chappell Jan-July and Judge Wendall Hammons Aug-Dec | ||||
Laurel/Knox | Circuit | DC | Judge Gregory Lay | ||||
Lincoln/Rockcastle | Combo | DC | Judge Marcus Vanover and Judge Teresa Whitaker | ||||
Pulaski | Combo | DC | Judge Marcus Vanover and Judge Teresa Whitaker | ||||
Wayne | Circuit | DC | Judge Vernon Miniard | ||||
Russell | Circuit | DC | Judge Vernon Miniard | ||||
McCreary | Circuit | DC | Judge Paul Winchester | ||||
Whitley | Circuit | DC | Judge Paul Winchester | ||||
Region 9 | |||||||
Breathitt | Circuit | DC | Judge Lisa Whisman | ||||
Powell | Circuit | DC | Judge Lisa Whisman | ||||
Wolfe | Circuit | DC | Judge Lisa Whisman | ||||
Clay | Circuit | DC | Judge Oscar House | ||||
Jackson | Circuit | DC | Judge Oscar House | ||||
Leslie | Circuit | DC | Judge Henria-Bailey Lewis | ||||
Floyd | Circuit | DC | Judge Tom Smith/Judge Johnny Ray Harris | ||||
Floyd | District | DC | Judge Eric Hall | ||||
Floyd | VTC | VTC | Judge Jimmy Marcum | ||||
Knott | Circuit | DC | Judge Kim Childers | ||||
Magoffin | Circuit | DC | Judge Kim Childers | ||||
Lee/Owsley | Circuit | DC | Judge Michael Dean | ||||
Estill | Circuit | DC | Judge Michael Dean | ||||
Letcher | Circuit | DC | Judge Jimmy Craft | ||||
Perry | Circuit | DC & Recovery Ct | Judge Alison Wells |