Friday, August 06, 1999
Patton appoints chief justice's wife to judgeship
Debra Lambert will sit in family court
BY MARK CHELLGREN
The Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky. — Debra Lambert, the wife of Kentucky Chief Justice Joseph Lambert, has been appointed to a judgeship of her own by Gov. Paul Patton.
Mrs. Lambert will become a family court judge in Pulaski, Rockcastle and Lincoln counties on Sept. 1. Four other family court judges, created by the 1998 General Assembly, were also appointed by Mr. Patton on Thursday.
The family judgeships, which handle cases such as divorces and domestic issues, are equivalent to a circuit judge and are paid $100,034 annually.
Mrs. Lambert said her husband did not contact anyone in the governor's office about her appointment. She did obtain letters of recommendation from law school and undergraduate professors, where she obtained a degree in family and child studies.
“I'm going to be the hard-workingest judge I can be,” Mrs. Lambert said.
Jane Venters, a Somerset attorney who had also been nominated for the judgeship, said she asked others to make contacts with the governor's office on her behalf.
Mrs. Venters, who is married to Pulaski Circuit Court Judge Daniel Venters, said she was unfamiliar with what considerations went into making the appointment.
“I'll just say this. I think it was a political appointment,” Mrs. Venters said.
Although she knows Mrs. Lambert socially, Mrs. Venters said she has not practiced law with her.
“So you kind of get back to this debate, for lack of a better word, about political appointments and whether the most qualified person was chosen,” Mrs. Venters said.
Justice Lambert did not re turn a telephone call for comment on Thursday.
Mr. Patton said through a spokesman that Justice Lambert did not contact him about the appointment. Mr. Patton said Mrs. Lambert's law practice in domestic issues made her “exceptionally qualified and very well suited to the mission of family court.”
Other appointments
Four other family court judges were also appointed Thursday:
• Jean Logue of Richmond has had a general law practice for 10 years. She is also city attorney for the city of Richmond. She is the daughter of retired Madison County Cir cuit Judge James Chenault.
• Judy Hall of Hopkinsville, who has been the full-time domestic relations commissioner for the Christian County Circuit Court for five years, the last 21/2 years in the position full-time.
• Cynthia Sanderson of Paducah, a former domestic relations commissioner for McCracken County Circuit Court who has practiced domestic relations law for 18 years.
• Reed Rhorer of Frankfort, a district court judge in Franklin County since 1991.
The terms of the judges will run until the November 2000 election.
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