justice
No dice for ‘risk-free’ gaming machines in Kentucky, advises AG Coleman
The manufacturer of a so-called “risk-free” gaming machine is hitting the pause button in Kentucky after Attorney General Russell Coleman said the machines are illegal under a ban passed by lawmakers last year.? Bob Heleringer, an attorney for Prominent Technologies, told the Lantern the company strongly disagrees with Coleman’s advisory but is directing businesses with […]
Democratic state lawmaker pleads not guilty to DUI-related charges
LOUISVILLE —?Kentucky state Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton pleaded not guilty to charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence in Jefferson County District Court Friday morning.? The 62-year-old Democratic lawmaker from Shivley was arrested by local police early Tuesday. According to the arrest citation, she refused to take a field sobriety test and a preliminary […]
Feds: Justice coal companies have no defense against move to hold them in contempt
Federal attorneys asking a court to hold 23 of West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s family-owned coal companies in contempt for nonpayment of health and safety fines entered a filing this week saying the companies shouldn’t have entered into a payment plan if they knew they couldn’t honor it. The filing, entered Tuesday in the U.S. […]
Kentucky could be in violation of federal law without more community-based mental health care
LOUISVILLE — The U.S. Department of Justice says it has “reasonable cause” to believe Kentucky is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act in Jefferson County.? This finding comes after a two-year federal investigation “focused on whether Kentucky subjects adults with serious mental illness to unnecessary segregation in psychiatric hospitals in Louisville.”? In a 30-page report […]
Inpatient mental health treatment now available to more Kentucky boys in state care
Eligible boys in the care of the Kentucky Department for Community Based Services or Juvenile Justice system who need “complex mental and behavioral health care” can now access inpatient treatment in Owensboro, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services announced Tuesday. Called The BIRCH, the 10-bed inpatient program operates out of RiverValley Behavioral Health’s adolescent […]
Democratic state lawmaker arrested for driving under the influence
Kentucky state Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton was arrested for driving under the influence in Jefferson County early Tuesday morning.? Chester-Burton, a 62-year-old Democratic lawmaker from Shivley, was arrested around 1 a.m. on Garrs Lane in Shivley, a spokesperson for the Shively Police Department told the Kentucky Lantern. She was charged with reckless driving and a second […]
Kentucky Attorney General Coleman moves to block Hazard’s restaurant tax, calls it ‘unlawful’
The Eastern Kentucky city of Hazard is facing another legal obstacle in its effort to begin collecting a restaurant tax. Attorney General Russell Coleman is appealing a Franklin Circuit Court order that said Hazard was eligible to? pursue the tax. He called it “an unlawful tax” for the city of about 5,200. The restaurant tax, […]
Former UK swimming coach formally denies sexual abuse allegations, asks judge to dismiss case
Former University of Kentucky swimming coach Lars Jorgensen has formally denied allegations of sexual abuse contained in a lawsuit brought by two former UK swimmers and assistant coaches. Nineteen weeks after a lawsuit was filed in federal court accusing Jorgensen of repeated rapes of Bridgette Alexander, a female swimmer who has since transitioned as Briggs […]
‘It’s on us:’ KY Republican slams fellow lawmakers for not funding juvenile justice improvements
Sen. Danny Carroll slammed the Kentucky legislature on Friday for not funding his proposal to spend $22 million on a special mental health juvenile detention facility.? The West Kentucky Republican filed Senate Bill 242 during the 2024 session, which would have also created a process to test and treat minors with serious mental health issues […]
Kentucky Republican seeks to add coercive control to protective order statute
If you or someone you know has experienced domestic violence, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.? You can also contact any of Kentucky’s 15 domestic violence programs.? A Northern Kentucky Republican intends to file a bill that would add coercive control to Kentucky’s protective […]
Her political future cloudy, Grimes must contend with effort to reinstate alleged ethics violations
Kentucky’s Executive Branch Ethics Commission is seeking to reverse a judge’s ruling that cleared former Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes of ethics violation charges. The commission’s request to the Kentucky Court of Appeals is expected to complicate for the time being any decisions that Grimes may have about returning to politics.? Speculation about that […]
Embattled Democrat Nima Kulkarni gains path to Kentucky House ballot in November
Republican Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams has opened a path for Democratic state Rep. Nima Kulkarni to appear on the November ballot, although further legal challenges could arise. Adams declared a vacancy in the nomination process for Louisville’s 40th House District on the heels of legal challenges against Kulkarni’s candidacy. However, attorneys on both […]