Judy Vance Murphy Suspended

Judy Vance Murphy, a Circuit Court judge for Kentucky's 29th Judicial Circuit (Adair and Casey Counties), was suspended without pay by the state's Judicial Conduct Commission after an investigation found she abused her position on multiple occasions. In 2023, Murphy used her judicial position to intervene in a personal matter involving her daughter's boyfriend and his mother. From 2017 to 2021, she discussed ongoing court cases with individuals not involved in those matters — conduct the Commission found threatened "the independence, integrity and impartiality" of the judiciary.

The Commission also found Murphy inappropriately leveraged her judicial influence for personal gain by asking a suspended attorney to sign an affidavit stating the attorney did not view her as vindictive. Murphy acknowledged all of the alleged conduct as true and accurate and waived further proceedings. Her suspension ran from November 11 to November 25, 2024.