Kentucky Supreme Court terminates impeachment of Fayette Judge Julie Goodman

Taylor Six, Lexington Herald-Leader on Apr 6, 2026

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s highest court ruled Monday that state lawmakers cannot proceed with upcoming impeachment proceedings against Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Muth Goodman.

The opinion and order, issued Monday by the Kentucky Supreme Court and written by Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert, voided Goodman’s articles of impeachment, and ordered the General Assembly stop from further impeachment proceedings.

The court ruled the impeachment effort violated Goodman’s due process rights, her offenses were not impeachable, and that impeachment by the legislature was not the proper venue for judicial reprimand.

It also ruled the impeachment effort violated the Kentucky’s Separation of Powers doctrine.

“Kentucky’s Constitution contemplates co-equal branches of government,” Lambert wrote. “Yet the Respondents would have us interpret it (or more to the point, not interpret it) such that the Legislature may have the complete, unchecked power to impeach judicial branch officials for matters which our Constitution gives this branch the authority to address.

“This would not be co-equal. It would not be constitutional. It would be tyrannical.”

Monday’s ruling marked resounding victory for the Lexington judge, who sought to fight lawmaker’s unprecedented effort to remove her from office.

The court ruled 5-1 in favor of halting proceedings. Justice Christopher Shea Nickell was the lone dissenter, with one justice recusing herself.

Killian Timoney, a former Republican lawmaker seeking to win back his Lexington-area House seat this year, filed the petition in January, arguing Goodman had abused her office.

On March 20, Kentucky’s House of Representatives voted to impeach Goodman in a 73-14 vote.

Frankfort Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled last week the impeachment petition was improper, but members of the Kentucky Senate said they intended to move forward with a trial anyway.

Timoney, Rep. Jason Nemes, chair of the committee that advanced the impeachment effort to the full House, and a Senate GOP spokesperson did not immediately respond to Herald-Leader requests for comment.

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