Jim Shake
James "Jim" M. Shake was the chief circuit court judge for the 30th Judicial Circuit, serving Jefferson County of Kentucky.[1] He was first appointed to the court in 1993 by Governor Brereton Jones. He was re-elected without opposition in 2014 for an eight-year term.[2][3] Shake retired from the court in March 2017.[4]
Shake was a candidate for the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 2012, but lost to Irv Maze.[5]
Biography
Shake received his undergraduate degree and J.D. from the University of Louisville.[6][7] Shake started his career as a public defender for Jefferson County, where he worked for three years. He left the defender's office to start a private practice, while at the same time serving as an assistant county attorney.
Elections
2014
See also: Kentucky judicial elections, 2014
Shake ran for re-election to the 30th Judicial Circuit.
General: He was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014.
[2]
2012
Shake ran for judge in the 4th district, 1st division of the Kentucky Court of Appeals.[8] Shake and current Kentucky Circuit Courts Judge Irv Maze defeated Ruth Ann Cox Pence in the primary election on May 22nd, 2012.[9] Maze and Shake competed in the general election on November 6th. He lost in the November general election to Maze, getting 49.21% of the vote.
- See also: Kentucky judicial elections, 2012
2008
Shake ran as a candidate for the Kentucky Supreme Court in 2008 against incumbent Justice Lisabeth Tabor Hughes. He lost the electoral contest, receiving 45% of the vote.[10]
| Candidate | Incumbent | Seat | Election % |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lisabeth Tabor Hughes  |
4th District | 55.2% | ||
| Jim Shake | 4th District | 44.8% |
Louisville Bar Association ratings
744 members of the Louisville Bar Association rated the two candidates.[12]
| Candidate | Highly qualified | Qualified | Not qualified | Do not know | Not rated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lisabeth Tabor Hughes | 65.7% | 18.3% | 2.2% | 8.6% | 5.2% |
| Jim Shake | 58.7% | 28.6% | 2.6% | 5.5% | 4.6% |
Noteworthy cases
Shake weighs DNA testing
Judge Shake presided over a case that debated whether or not to honor the first DNA testing request made by one of Kentucky's death row inmates. Shake said there is “reasonable probability” that, if the testing existed at the time the inmate allegedly committed murder—1979—he would not have been convicted.[13]
The case of the 18 fired teachers
The Jefferson County Teachers Association sued Jefferson County's school district superintendent Sheldon Berman in May 2008 for not rehiring 18 teachers who had been released due to alleged disciplinary and performance issues. In July 2008, Shake refused to grant the temporary injunction that had been requested by the teacher's union, asking that the teachers be reinstated pending a full hearing.[14]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Kentucky Court of Justice, "Kentucky Circuit Court Judges," accessed November 11, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Kentucky Secretary of State, "Election: 2014 Primary Election: Circuit Judge," accessed January 29, 2014
- ↑ Judicial selection in Kentucky
- ↑ Courier-Journal, "Bevin appoints 2 Louisville judges," July 18, 2017
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, 2010 State Election Results
- ↑ Citizens for Better Judges, "Kentucky Court Of Appeals - Hon. James M. Shake," accessed February 2, 2015
- ↑ Martindale, "Judge Profile:James M. Shake," accessed February 2, 2015
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "Elections: James M. "Jim" Shake," January 19, 2012
- ↑ The Courier Journal, "Irv Maze, Jim Shake advance to Kentucky Court of Appeals general election," May 23, 2012
- ↑ The Courier-Journal, "Abramson retains Supreme Court seat," November 5, 2008
- ↑ Kentucky Secretary of State, "2008 General Election Results," November 26, 2008
- ↑ Louisville Bar Association, "Judicial Evaluation," 2008
- ↑ Associate Press, "More DNA tests in 1979 slaying case requested," September 23, 2008
- ↑ The Courier-Journal, "Union's Berman ad slips onto air," August 19, 2008
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
