Minton Renamed Chief of Kentucky Supreme Court
The justices of the Supreme Court of Kentucky unanimously voted May 21 to elect Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. to a second term as chief justice. The four-year term begins June 27. He was sworn in as Kentucky’s fifth chief justice on June 27, 2008, after being elected to the Supreme Court in 2006.
“With this re-election, the justices have expressed their appreciation for the hard work and leadership of Chief Justice Minton,” said Mary C. Noble, deputy chief justice for the Supreme Court. “We have an unusually close court that works together on all major issues under the guidance of our chief justice.”
A native of Bowling Green, Chief Justice Minton said he is honored to have the opportunity to continue serving his fellow Kentuckians. “I’m grateful to my colleagues for their strong vote of confidence,” he said. “All of the justices are former trial judges, which gives them unique insight into the work of the courts. More than ever before, the Supreme Court is involved in forming policy and the justices’ perspective and spirit of cooperation has been especially important in guiding the Judicial Branch during one of the most difficult times in recent memory.”
Under Chief Justice Minton’s administration, the Supreme Court adopted the state’s first uniform family law rules and formed the Kentucky Access to Justice Commission to improve access to civil legal aid for the poor. As a member of the Task Force on the Penal Code and Controlled Substances Act, Chief Justice Minton joined forces with the Executive and Legislative branches to curb prison costs and improve public safety. He supports transparent government and in 2009 led the Judicial Branch in posting its financial information on a public website shared with the Executive Branch.
Chief Justice Minton is steering the Judicial Branch through Kentucky’s worst economic downturn in decades by creating efficiencies at all four levels of the court system. Under his leadership, the Administrative Office of the Courts commissioned the National Center for State Courts to audit the AOC in an effort to achieve a leaner, more efficient organizational structure. Since the economic crisis began in 2008, Chief Justice Minton has made strategic reductions to keep the Judicial Branch within its appropriated budget.
As head of the Judicial Branch, he is committed to investing in the people who operate the court system and in the technology that can help Kentucky courts reduce costs and deliver better service. He formed the Technology Governance Committee to create a strategic technology plan for the courts and guide efforts to replace the outdated case management system with one that will allow e-filing and innovative electronic services. He also created a Compensation Commission to determine how to make the Judicial Branch’s salary structure more fair and competitive with the other branches of state government.
Chief Justice Minton is active in the Conference of Chief Justices as a board member and as chair of the Problem Solving Courts Committee. He is also on the board of directors for the Council of State Governments and is a 2010 alumnus of the CSG’s Henry Toll Fellowship Program. He is chair of the American Bar Association Board of Elections.
--Edited release
