The Bench & Bar magazine is published to provide members of the KBA with information that will increase their knowledge of the law, improve the practice of law, and assist in improving the quality of legal services for the citizenry.
Issue link: https://kentuckybenchandbar.epubxp.com/i/245872
Chief Justice John D. Minton, Jr., of Bowling Green was recently inducted into Western Kentucky University's (WKU) Hall of Distinguished Alumni during luncheon ceremonies conducted as a part of WKU's 2013 Homecoming celebration on Friday, Oct. 25, 2013, at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green. The chief justice was joined in the 22nd class of noted WKU alumni by Dan Cherry, a former commander of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and past secretary of the Kentucky Justice Cabinet, and Greg Smith, a 1971 NBA championship team member of the Milwaukee Bucks. Chief Justice Minton was elected to the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2006 and was sworn in as Kentucky's fifth chief justice in 2008. His fellow justices elected him as chief justice for a second term that began in June 2012. Under his 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, he 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. As head of the judicial branch, Chief Justice Minton 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 He formed the Technology Governance Committee to guide efforts to replace the outdated court case management system with one that will allow eFiling and innovative electronic services.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 was in private practice for 15 years before serving as a circuit judge from 1992 to 2003 and a Kentucky Court of Appeals judge from 2003 to 2006. He holds degrees from Western Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky College of Law. He serves on the boards of the Conference of Chief Justices and the Council of State Governments. In 2003, the Kentucky Bar Association honored him with its Outstanding Judge Award. He was named Distinguished Jurist in 2012 by the UK College of Law Alumni Association. He is married to Susan Page Minton, a Bowling Green native, and they have two children. Chief Justice Minton is the son of Betty Redick Minton and the late Dr. John D. Minton, who retired from WKU after serving for many years as a history professor, administrator and its fifth president. DOMESTIC RELATIONS FORMS PILOT PROJECT The Kentucky Court of Justice has listened to the suggestions by the Bar with respect to the complexity of the family law forms mandated by the Family Court Rules of Procedure and Practice (FCRPP). In 2013, a FCRPP Forms Review Committee comprised of judges, agency representatives and practitioners was assembled and charged with the responsibility of reviewing all FCRPP-mandated forms in an effort to streamline and simplify the forms, including the simplification of the disclosure forms. The proposed domestic relations forms will begin being piloted on Jan. 1, 2014, in collaboration with the AOC and the KBA for your review, consideration and use prior to the Supreme Court Rules Hearing in June 2014. The pilot forms will be available to the Bar through the Kentucky Court of Justice website (www.courts.ky.gov) in a fillable PDF format that can be saved to your computer. As forms are subject to revision based on statutory changes and/or case law, Bar members must ensure that they use the current version of any form being piloted. Notice of any revision will be communicated to the Bar through the KBA and will be posted on the KBA and KCOJ websites. Please send any comments or questions relative to the forms to FCRPPforms@kycourts.net by July 31, 2014. 4XLQWDLURV3ULHWR:RRG%R\HU3$ $WWRUQH\VDW/DZ $ PXOWLRI¿FH ODZ ¿UP LV VHHNLQJ $77251(<6IRULWV/RXLVYLOOHDQG /H[LQJWRQRI¿FH0XVWKDYHH[SHUL HQFH LQ FLYLO WULDO DQGRU LQVXUDQFH GHIHQVHOLWLJDWLRQ3RUWDEOHERRNRI EXVLQHVVLVDSOXV (PDLOUHVXPHWRUHVXPH#TSZEODZFRP B&B; • 1.14 21 CHIEF JUSTICE MINTON INDUCTED INTO WKU HALL OF DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI