FRANKFORT, Ky., June 4, 2025 – The Supreme Court of Kentucky will hear oral arguments Wednesday-Thursday, June 11-12, in Frankfort. Proceedings are open to the public and will take place at 10 and 11 a.m. EDT each day in the historic Supreme Court Courtroom on the second floor of the Capitol.
The public may observe in person or via livestream. Stream arguments as they happen or later as archives at ket.org/supremecourt.
The Supreme Court is the state court of last resort and the final interpreter of Kentucky law. Seven justices sit on the Supreme Court and all seven justices rule on appeals that come before the court. The justices are elected from seven appellate districts and serve eight-year terms. A chief justice, chosen for a four-year term by fellow justices, is the administrative head of the state’s court system and is responsible for its operation. The Supreme Court may order a ruling or opinion to be published, which means that the ruling becomes the case law governing all similar cases in the future in Kentucky.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2025
10 a.m. EDT
DOUGLAS HODGE V. KENTUCKY PAROLE BOARD (2023-SC-0091-DG)
View attorneys and links to briefs at https://kcoj.info/SCJune2025.
Criminal Law. Parole revocation. Kentucky Parole Board. Administrative Law Judge. Due Process. Issues presented include whether inmates’ due process rights were violated when relevant hearings concerning parole revocation were held before an Administrative Law Judge (rather than by the Parole Board). Other issues include whether KRS 439.440 mandates the Parole Board conduct the final revocation hearing.
Discretionary Review Granted: December 6, 2023
Trial Court(s): Kenton Circuit Court & Franklin Circuit Court
Presiding Judge(s): Hon. Gregory M. Bartlett & Hon. Phillip J. Shepherd
11 a.m. EDT
RAIANTEZ SHACKLES V. COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY (2022-SC-0560-MR)
View attorneys and links to briefs at https://kcoj.info/SCJune2025.
Self-Defense Instruction. Hearsay. Unanimity. Issues presented, among others, include: (1) whether there was sufficient evidence to warrant a self-defense instruction; (2) whether the lead detective’s testimony that a phone found at the scene belonged to defendant, based upon a phone number from a police report, was impermissible hearsay and violated defendant’s rights under the Confrontation Clause; (3) whether the trial court erred when it permitted a crime victim to testify to safety concerns based on jailhouse phone calls defendant made after the charged offenses; and (4) whether defendant’s penalty verdict and persistent felony offender convictions lacked unanimity because the trial court failed to give a written unanimous jury instruction.
Designated for Oral Argument: May 12, 2025
Trial Court(s): Jefferson Circuit Court
Presiding Judge(s): Hon. Mitchell Perry
THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2025
10 a.m. EDT
LEXINGTON ALZHEIMER'S INVESTORS, LLC D/B/A THE LANTERN AT MORNING POINTE ALZHEIMER'S CENTER OF EXCELLENCE, ET AL. V. SANDRA NORRIS, AS ADMINISTRATRIX OF THE ESTATE OF RAYFORD CHARLES NORRIS (2023-SC-0510-DG)
View attorneys and links to briefs at https://kcoj.info/SCJune2025.
Contract. Arbitration. Nursing Homes. Healthcare Surrogate. KRS 311.631. Issues presented include whether a nursing home admittee’s statutory healthcare surrogate can execute a binding arbitration agreement on behalf of the admittee when execution of the agreement is a mandatory condition of admission to the nursing home.
Goodwine, J., not sitting.
Discretionary Review Granted: April 12, 2024
Trial Court(s): Fayette Circuit Court
Presiding Judge(s): Hon. Kimberly Bunnell
11 a.m. EDT
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY V. DARRELL STRUNK (2023-SC-0518-DG)
View attorneys and links to briefs at https://kcoj.info/SCJune2025.
Criminal Law. Post-Conviction. CR 60.02. Illegal Sentence. Plea Agreements. Remedies. Preservation. Issues presented include whether the Court of Appeals erred by vacating the portion of the defendant’s sentence that exceeds the statutory maximum when: (1) the defendant’s convictions and illegal sentence resulted from a plea agreement under which the Commonwealth agreed to dismiss and reduce charges; (2) this Court’s opinion in McClanahan v. Commonwealth, 308 S.W.3d 694 (Ky. 2010) provides that the proper remedy under similar facts is to set aside the plea agreement, reinstate the original charges, and allow the defendant and Commonwealth to restart the case in circuit court; (3) throughout the post-conviction proceedings, the defendant insisted that he did not want to set aside his plea and wished to vacate the excess portion of his sentence; and (4) the Commonwealth did not request the remedy provided by McClanahan until it petitioned for rehearing in the Court of Appeals.
Discretionary Review Granted: April 12, 2024
Trial Court(s): Fayette Circuit Court
Presiding Judge(s): Hon. Kimberly Bunnell
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