Kaitlin Dean
Kaitlin Dean ran for election for judge of the Kentucky 30th District Court 9th Division. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Dean completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Kaitlin Dean was born in Columbia, Missouri. She earned a bachelor's degree from Baylor University in 2009. She earned a J.D. from the University of Kansas School of Law in 2013. Dean's career experience includes working as an attorney and as a business owner. She has been affiliated with the following organizations:[1]
- The Fillies, Inc.
- Association of Military Spouse Entrepreneurs
- The Military Spouse J.D. Network
- Justice for Military Families (JMF) Network
- Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity, Louisville Alumnae Chapter
- Women Who Wine for a Cause
- Kentucky Derby Festival Foundation
- Brief Grader and Moot Court Final Competition Judge for the American Bar Association’s National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NACC)
- National Panhellenic Council, Louisville Chapter
Elections
2022
See also: City elections in Louisville, Kentucky (2022)
General election
General election for Kentucky 30th District Court 9th Division
Incumbent Tanisha Hickerson defeated Kaitlin Dean in the general election for Kentucky 30th District Court 9th Division on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Tanisha Hickerson (Nonpartisan) | 57.0 | 105,983 | |
![]() | Kaitlin Dean (Nonpartisan) ![]() | 42.2 | 78,418 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 0.7 | 1,380 |
Total votes: 185,781 | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Tanisha Hickerson and Kaitlin Dean advanced from the primary for Kentucky 30th District Court 9th Division.
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kaitlin Dean completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dean's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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|- Equality, not only in the way people are treated, but the way the law is applied. Judges have a moral and ethical duty to appreciate stability in law, while recognizing need for change in a constantly evolving society. Judges must be confident in their rulings and not allow the potential impact and consequences of a decision to drive their thought process. Judges are the procedural gatekeepers. They must not only know the law, the changes in the law; but the must also know the rules of practice, procedure and evidence. Having prior experience in District Court important, but the community deserves candidates who possess the fundamental knowledge of the different types of law that District Judges preside over as a baseline qualification.
- Community involvement is paramount to positive change. We need to be actively seeking ways to involve the greater community in our justice system. An example would be a community organization allowing defendants volunteer their time instead of paying unreasonable fees that could lead to jail time in our already overcrowded jails; to educating the community about the court systems; having open oversight boards; community liaisons; community-based partnerships; community within the district court bench; etc. Judges need to share the fundamental values to which our community should aspire, i.e., respect for individual rights; democratic government; and the rule of law.
- Innovation is the key to a successful court system. A willingness to find creative solutions to existing problems through innovative approaches is the only way to solve existing problems. Judges must be collaborative and open to new learning to achieve deliberate excellence. If funding cannot be secured to achieve a strategic goal, the judiciary must work with community partners and government leaders to figure out how to help make the justice system work - i.e., an initiative to focus on the actual administration of the judicial system without compromising community safety, job security, sustainable community relationships.
Kaitlin’s unique life experiences, practice in the Courts of different states, role in the exoneration of Floyd Bledsoe and continued work with the Innocence Project, knowledge of forensic science, and unmatched diversity of experience will make her an asset to the District Court Judicial Bench.
I could open my own law practice because I saw a desperate need for reform within the justice
system.
I served as a Public Defender in the Adult Trial Division of the Louisville Metro Public Defender's Office and worked as a special approved contract attorney on a capital murder case from 2016 to 2017. I now own a general practice solo law firm where I do family court litigation, mediations, hearings and trials to representing individuals in domestic violence hearings.
I practice regularly in District Court, representing clients with traffic tickets, misdemeanor and felony cases, including jury trials; evictions, wills and guardianships, small claims, and civil cases.
I believe that everyone should leave Court knowing they had the opportunity to participate in the process and present their case; each party was treated the same and the law was applied equally to both sides; the Judge and the judicial system is trustworthy; and most of all, the party was treated as valued member of society, regardless of the outcome of their case.
Judges also have the unique ability to use their position to exercise the widest influence for good. I believe it is essential for all Judges to have practical experience with the Rules of Practice and Procedure for the type of law over which they preside. District Court Judges hold an extreme amount of discretion in their day-to-day work, and my work with the Innocence Project has certainly taught me that our entire legal system depends on the integrity and independence of the Judiciary.
We need case managers/court liaisons in the District Courts, who can research and check if an individual has active Family Court cases and follow up with that Judge’s staff to make sure the entire Jefferson County Court System is aware of all moving parts involving an individual. This job would also entail informing the District Court Judge if/when a Defendant has unique personal needs; if special healthcare arrangements may be required; and allow the Judge to determine if a respective situation rises to a level which would necessitate extraordinary considerations.
As an attorney, I have found studying her techniques for legal persuasion to be the most enchanting. The way Justice Ginsburg labored over the usage of a single word, it’s placement within a sentence and the profound effect it could have on influencing reasoning and choices is fascinating. I greatly admire her mastery of the skill of active listening, and willingness to go above and beyond to build lasting relationships with both like-minded and people who challenged her ways of thinking.
However, this empathy must extend to all persons involved. For example, it would arguably violate the Constitutional guarantees of Equal Protection if a Judge could only empathize with victims in certain cases; or vice versa, if a Judge were to only be able to empathize with someone accused of a crime or about to evicted due a legitimate and legal reason.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 20, 2022
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