Kentucky
Kentucky lawmakers to consider state Supreme Court justice’s impeachment
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Lawmakers in the Kentucky House have formed an impeachment committee to take up three petitions seeking to remove elected officials from office, including a state Supreme Court justice.
Legislators announced the committee had been launched on Jan. 20, with its first meeting set for Jan. 21.
Three impeachment petitions were filed before the start of the 2026 General Assembly. One concerns Ballard County Jailer Eric Coppess, and another is centered around Marshall County Family Court Judge Stephanie K. Perlow.
The most notable, though, is an effort to impeach state Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goodwine, who was endorsed by Gov. Andy Beshear ahead of her landslide win in the 2024 election. She is the first Black woman to be elected to the state Supreme Court and had served as a judge on lower courts for 25 years ahead of her election win.
The petition was filed by Jack Richardson IV, a Louisville lawyer and Republican Party of Kentucky executive committee member, and alleges Goodwine had a conflict of interest as she ruled on a recent court case that found 2022’s Senate Bill 1 — which took power from the Jefferson County Board of Education and gave it to the Jefferson County Public Schools superintendent — was unconstitutional. That 4-3 ruling, with Goodwine in the majority, was a reversal of a previous ruling that took place before she was in office that found the bill was legally sound.
The seven-page petition for impeachment argues Goodwine “breached the public trust and engaged in a variety of inappropriate acts” by not recusing herself from the case.
Her endorsement from Beshear drew public concern from the Kentucky Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee, though she said she would “continue to adhere to the highest ethical standards,” and her campaign drew six-digit contributions from PACs associated with Beshear, along with the Kentucky Education Association and the Jefferson County Teachers Association’s PAC.
A representative for the state Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The decision overturning the previous ruling drew strong criticism from Attorney General Russell Coleman along with Justice Shea Nickell, who wrote in his dissent that the court’s vote amounted to “a brazen manipulation of the rehearing standard.”
State Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, will serve as the committee’s chair but will recuse himself from Goodwine’s case because Richardson has previously donated to his campaign — he believes he could make an unbiased decision but wanted to avoid the appearance of impropriety. State Rep. John Blanton, R-Salyersville, is vice chair and will serve as chair in Goodwine’s case. The committee will be made up of seven Republicans and four Democrats.
Richardson is the former chair of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He made headlines last year when he filed a symbolic resolution with the state GOP to censure U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie amid his feud with President Donald Trump.
“It’s time for the court system in this country to have some accountability,” Richardson said in October in an interview with Louisville Public Media. “They hold everybody else to account, but nobody oversees them. And it’s time for there to be some radical judicial reform in this country, and it’s going to have to start with the courts and start with the judges.”
The legislature took up an impeachment petition aimed at Beshear in 2021, but the effort was eventually dismissed. In 2023, the state took up its first impeachment trial in more than 100 years and barred former state prosecutor Ronnie Goldy from holding elected office in the state in the future over improper exchanges with a female defendant who sent him nude images at his request for court favors. Goldy was later convicted and sentenced to more than three years in prison.
Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.
As we continue to go position group by position group and project what each unit will look like for the 2026 Kentucky Wildcats, we will now look at the safety room. This position is led by two of the most experienced safeties in the conference with Ty Bryant and Florida transfer Jordan Castell. The safety position is heavily relied upon in defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s scheme. Having experience is paramount for this group, as Coach Bateman will call creative looks for disguised coverages which will create plenty of safety rotations pre-snap and post-snap.
Starters
I think it is safe to assume that the new staff made it a priority to retain Ty Bryant and Willie Rodriguez more than any other returning players on the roster. Bryant was voted second team All-SEC by coaches last season and is one of the best safeties in the conference. He was the team’s leading tackler a year ago with 76 total and led the SEC with four interceptions. Bryant is a do-it-all safety that has a nose for the football and is expected to be the leader of the defense this fall.
Jordan Castell transferred over from the Florida Gators, where he started over 30 games in his career. Castell is a long, rangy safety that knows what it takes to play at an SEC level. He started as a true freshman at Florida and earned freshman All-SEC honors in 2023. Over his three seasons with the Gators, Castell has totaled 169 tackles, 13 pass breakups and three interceptions.
If things go as planned, these two will rarely come off the field this season. Bryant has natural playmaking ability on the back end as a ball hawking safety and is coming off the best season of his career. Castell has ideal length for the position and has shown the ability to make big time plays in this conference. Bryant and Castell form one of the best safety tandems in the SEC and will be a key to the defensive success in 2026.
Backups
- Dyllon Williams
- Jesse Anderson
Dyllon Williams is a 6’2, 191-pound redshirt freshman that got his feet wet last season in limited snaps. Williams only saw action against Eastern Michigan, Florida and Vanderbilt a year ago. Ideally, I don’t expect him to see much of an increase in playing time this season but it will be interesting to see how he progresses when he does get on the field. Coach Bateman does like to throw three safety looks at opposing offenses, but that will likely be manned by the slot corner position group.
Jesse Anderson is a transfer from Pitt that brings some experience to the depth of this room. In three seasons at Pitt, he has received snaps in 23 games as a rotational safety. I wouldn’t expect his role to change, he will be a rotational guy in this group as well and brings much needed experience in a backup role. Anderson is on the smaller side at 6’0, 186-pounds.
Like I previously mentioned, Coach Bateman likes to keep offenses off balance with three safety looks in coverage. However, I expect the slot corners to be heavily involved in those formations, which will be Aaron Gates and Jaden Smith. We will group the slot corners in with the cornerbacks when we preview that position group. Overall, this safety room is a strength of the team although it is hinged on the experienced duo of Bryant and Castell.
13 things more likely to happen than winning the Powerball jackpot
Hoping to win the Powerball jackpot? Here are 13 things more likely to happen than becoming an instant millionaire.
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Saturday, May 9, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
08-15-20-35, Cash Ball: 21
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 4-1-5
Midday: 3-6-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 9-6-4-3
Midday: 5-1-4-5
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Powerball
15-41-46-47-56, Powerball: 22, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Powerball Double Play
06-27-58-61-65, Powerball: 14
Millionaire for Life
08-11-17-29-49, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
Top headlines of the week, May 8 2026
Here are some stories you may have missed this week in central Ohio.
Authorities said a body recovered May 4 from the Ohio River in northeast Kentucky has been identified as a Columbus man, Dispatch news partner NBC4/WMCH-TV reported.
Lewis County Sheriff Johnny Bivens said the body has been identified as Jason D. Frisbie, 38, of Columbus. Bivens said authorities in Kentucky worked with Ohio officials to identify Frisbie this week.
Bivens said Lewis County took a call around 4:30 p.m. May 4 about a body in the river in Vanceburg, Kentucky, a few miles south of Ohio’s Shawnee State Park. Bivens said responding agencies took the body to the Kentucky State Medical Examiner’s Office.
Lewis County authorities asked for public help identifying the body. On May 9, Bivens confirmed Frisbie’s identity after working with Ohio officials and local responders.
Bivens said the death remains under investigation, and authorities did not offer information about a suspected cause.
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