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David Buckingham
David Cowan Buckingham is a former associate justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court, holding the 1st Supreme Court District seat. Gov. Matt Bevin (R) appointed Buckingham on March 27, 2019, to succeed Judge Bill Cunningham, who retired.[1] To learn more about this appointment, click here.
Education
Buckingham received his undergraduate degree from Murray State University in 1974 and his J.D. from the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law in 1977.[1]
Career
- 2019: Associate justice, Kentucky Supreme Court
- 2011-2019: Counsel, Adams Law Firm and the Murray Independent School District
- 1997-2010: Kentucky Court of Appeals
- 2006-2010: Senior judge
- 1997-2005: Judge
- 1987-1996: Judge, Kentucky 42nd Circuit Court
- 1982-1987: Judge, Kentucky 42nd District Court[1]
Appointments
Governor Matt Bevin (R) appointed David Buckingham to the Kentucky Supreme Court on March 27, 2019, following the retirement of Justice Bill Cunningham on January 31.[2][3] Buckingham was Bevin's first appointment to the seven-member court.
Bevin was critical of the state's highest court in late 2018 after a unanimous ruling struck down Senate Bill 151, which was an attempt to overhaul the state's pension system. Bevin said before that he wanted the state constitution amended to allow for the appointment rather than election of judges, and said that the justices of the court "don’t have the competence even to be a private practice attorney who can bill at a rate that people would not pay." Responding to the criticism of the court and calls for a change in the selection process, Cunningham said, "[I]t concerns me when we have governors and legislators who have such thin and shallow understanding of our constitutional system, and the separation of powers and the roles judges and courts play."[4]
Under Kentucky law, if there is a midterm vacancy on the state supreme court, the governor appoints a successor from a list of three names provided by the Kentucky Judicial Nominating Commission. The newly-appointed justice needed to run in the next statewide general election, which took place in 2019 to remain on the court.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kentucky.gov, "Gov. Bevin Appoints Hon. David C. Buckingham to First Supreme Court District of Kentucky," March 27, 2019
- ↑ Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Bottom Line, "Gov. Matt Bevin makes an appointment to the Kentucky Supreme Court," March 27, 2019
- ↑ WKMS, "Bill Cunningham Discusses His Upcoming Retirement," January 17, 2019
- ↑ Louisville Courier Journal, "Matt Bevin could pick next Supreme Court justice to fill vacant seat," December 28, 2018
Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Kentucky, Western District of Kentucky
State courts:
Kentucky Supreme Court • Kentucky Court of Appeals • Kentucky Circuit Courts • Kentucky District Courts • Kentucky Family Court
State resources:
Courts in Kentucky • Kentucky judicial elections • Judicial selection in Kentucky
