On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, the Herald-Leader reported that the Kentucky Senate vowed to revisit the impeachment of Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Muth Goodman if a judicial oversight commission does not act on misconduct accusations against her.

The decision came as the Senate voted to table impeachment proceedings against Goodman, but indicated they would return to the issue if the Judicial Conduct Commission (JCC) does not take action by the end of the legislative session.

The Senate impeachment committee had earlier voted to table the impeachment proceedings against Judge Goodman. Members of the committee insisted that the General Assembly was the appropriate venue for judicial sanctions, despite an April 6 Kentucky Supreme Court ruling stating that such accusations should be handled by the JCC. The JCC is already reviewing the claims against Goodman. The Senate adopted Senate Resolution 297 to pause the proceedings via a voice vote, with a few Democrats opposing the measure.

Judge Goodman was impeached by the Kentucky House on March 20 in a 73-14 vote, largely along party lines with Republican support. The case was then sent to the Senate for a trial, where Goodman could have been convicted and removed from office. However, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled this month that the effort was invalid and should not proceed.

Senate leadership had been non-committal about moving forward with impeachment hearings, but Senate President Robert Stivers previously announced that the effort was being suspended. Senate Resolution 297 urges the JCC to reprimand Goodman and remove her from the bench. Sen. Brandon Storm stated that lawmakers were unaware that the JCC was already investigating Goodman, as complaints filed with the commission are largely private.

Goodman’s lawyers and the Kentucky Supreme Court have argued that the JCC is responsible for investigating judicial misconduct, not Kentucky lawmakers. However, Senators Storm and Stivers emphasized that the Senate could take up proceedings at the next legislative session, or earlier, if they disagree with the JCC’s findings.

Robert McBride, Goodman’s attorney, stated that the Senate had no choice but to table the matter because the Supreme Court had ordered them not to move forward. The Kentucky Supreme Court invalidated the petition, ruling that Goodman’s conduct was not impeachable, the General Assembly was not the proper venue for judicial sanctions, and the impeachment petition was improper because it was missing a notary’s signature.

The impeachment petition was filed in January by former Kentucky lawmaker Killian Timoney, who claimed Goodman had abused her office and ignored the law, citing six particular cases in her courtroom as evidence.

 

 

Source: Herald-Leader