Kathy Stein
Kathy Stein was a judge of the Kentucky 22nd Circuit Court Family Court 6th Division. She assumed office on October 21, 2013. She left office on February 2, 2022.
Stein was appointed to the court by Governor Steve Beshear (D) on October 14, 2013, to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Jo Ann Wise.[1][2]
Stein is a former Democratic member of the Kentucky State Senate, representing District 13 from 2009 to October 14, 2013.[3]
Biography
Stein received her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and her J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law.[4] From 2009 until her appointment to the court in October 2013, Stein served as a state senator in the Kentucky State Senate. She also previously served as a representative in the Kentucky House of Representatives for eleven years.[2]
Elections
2014
See also: Kentucky judicial elections, 2014
Stein ran for re-election to the 22nd Judicial Circuit.
General: She defeated Jennifer McVay Martin in the general election on November 4, 2014, receiving 62.5 percent of the vote.
[5]
2012
- See also: Kentucky State Senate elections, 2012
Stein's downtown Lexington district was moved about 40 miles to the northeast during redistricting, which some Democrats considered a deliberate move by the Republican legislative leadership to displace her. Stein initially said that she would not move, but won re-election in the 2012 election for Kentucky State Senate District 13. She ran unopposed in the Democratic primary on May 22, 2012, and was unopposed in the general election on November 6, 2012.[6][7][8]
Stein's bid had been put in danger by a redistricting plan that would have moved her district 40 miles away to rural northeast Kentucky, and Dorsey Ridley's 4th District 200 miles east to take its place.[9] A judge later struck down that plan, ordering the 2012 elections to be held under the current boundaries.[10]
2008
On November 4, 2008, Stein was elected to the 13th District Seat in the Kentucky State Senate, defeating opponent Chuck Ellinger II (R).[11] Stein raised $132,425 for her campaign, while Ellinger raised 43,710.[12]
| Kentucky State Senate, District 13 (2008) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
 Kathy Stein (D)
|
26,593 | 65.8% | ||
| Chuck Ellinger II (R) | 13,815 | 34.2% | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Noteworthy events
Suspension (2016)
Stein was suspended from office for one week in 2016—from September 28 to October 4—for unfairly granting custody of a child. The incident in question occurred in December 2015. The father asked Stein for temporary custody of the child, which she granted without giving the mother an opportunity to respond. According to the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission, Stein said during a telephone conference with the father, his lawyer, and the child's school that the father could pick the child up from school and that the mother did not need to be notified of the order. When the father picked up the child, he drove to Mississippi instead of going to a counseling session, which he said he planned to do. The Kentucky Court of Appeals ordered him to return to Kentucky with the child. Stein was accused of "failing to accord every person who has a legal interest in a proceeding the right to be heard" and "failing to maintain high standards of conduct and by failing to uphold the integrity and independence of the judiciary." She agreed to the suspension without a formal hearing before the commission.[13]
Senate committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Stein served on the following committees:
| Kentucky committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Agriculture |
| • Education |
| • Health and Welfare |
| • Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Stein served on the following committees:
2009-2010
In the 2009-2010 legislative session, Stein served on the following committees:
| Kentucky committee assignments, 2009 |
|---|
| • Agriculture |
| • Licensing, Occupations and Administrative Regulations |
| • Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection |
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Kentucky judge. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
- Kentucky Court of Justice, "Family Court Overview"
- Kentucky Court of Justice, "Fayette County Family Court"
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Project Vote Smart Legislative Profile
- Campaign Contributions: 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998, 1996
- Voting record from KentuckyVotes.org
Footnotes
- ↑ Kentucky Court of Justice: Fayette County Family Court
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 KY Forward.com, "New Appointment: Governor sends Ky. Sen. Kathy Stein to bench of Fayette Circuit Court," October 14, 2013
- ↑ kentucky.com, "Beshear appoints Sen. Kathy Stein to Fayette Circuit Court judgeship," October 14, 2013
- ↑ Martindale.com, "Profile: Kathy W. Stein," accessed October 3, 2016
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Election: 2014 Primary Election: Family Court Judge," accessed February 17, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Official 2012 General Election Results," accessed January 7, 2015
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, Official 2012 Primary Election Results
- ↑ The Lexington Herald-Leader, "Kathy Stein isn't the first Kentucky state senator whose district was moved," January 20, 2012
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Kathy Stein isn't the first Kentucky state senator whose district was moved," January 20, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader, "Judge tosses new boundaries for state legislative districts," February 8, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2012
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Report of 'Official' Election Night Tally Results," November 26, 2008
- ↑ District 13 Kentucky State Senate, 2008 Money Raised
- ↑ WKYT, "Fayette County judge suspended for a week for misconduct," September 12, 2016
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ernesto Scorsone |
Kentucky State Senate District 13 2009–October 2013 |
Succeeded by Reggie Thomas (D) |
| Preceded by - |
Kentucky House of Representatives 1997-2008 |
Succeeded by NA |
