On Saturday, December 20, 2025, WKYT reported that the Kentucky Court of Appeals overturned a Fayette Circuit Court judge’s decision to dismiss a murder case stemming from a fatal 2020 car crash in Lexington. The appellate court’s ruling mandates the reinstatement of charges against Cornell Denmark Thomas II and orders the case to be sent back to the Fayette Circuit Court for further proceedings.
The case revolves around a July 2020 incident where Thomas is alleged to have been driving at nearly 100 miles per hour when he ran a red light on Leestown Road, colliding with a vehicle driven by Tammy Botkin, who died as a result of the crash. Thomas was indicted on charges of wanton murder and leaving the scene of an accident involving a death. Prosecutors claim that Thomas did not apply his brakes and fled the scene on foot before being apprehended by law enforcement.
In December 2023, Fayette Circuit Court Judge Julie Goodman dismissed the indictment, citing a lack of evidence, prosecutorial misconduct, and selective prosecution. Judge Goodman specifically accused the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office of pursuing harsher convictions against Black defendants. The Office of the Attorney General, in collaboration with Fayette County Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird, subsequently appealed the ruling.
The Court of Appeals, in a unanimous 108-page opinion, rejected all three grounds for dismissal. The appellate court stated that the trial court had overstepped its authority by improperly weighing evidence, raising issues not brought forth by the defense, and violating the separation of powers principle by preventing a jury from hearing the case.
The Court of Appeals described the dismissal as “fraught with legal errors and abuses of both its discretion and its authority.” The opinion vacates the dismissal, reinstates the indictment, and remands the case for prosecution, suggesting that the circuit judge’s recusal “appears the only reasonable and appropriate solution” moving forward.
Attorney General Russell Coleman issued a statement saying that the ruling restores the role of the jury in deciding guilt. Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird expressed her eagerness to prosecute the case before an impartial judge. Baird also stated she was shocked by the judge’s accusation of racially motivated prosecution against her office, emphasizing her commitment to fairness and justice through proper legal processes.
Source: WKYT
