A former Kentucky state representative filed a petition Wednesday to impeach Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Goodman, citing her handling of six cases in Lexington.
Killian Timoney, who previously represented House District 45 before losing a GOP primary in 2024 and is running for the seat again this year, claims in the petition that Goodman abused her judicial authority and undermined public confidence in a way that qualifies as “misdemeanors in office.”
“Judge Goodman has abused her office to such an extent, and in so many cases, that she has undermined public confidence in the judicial process,” Timoney wrote. “These abuses constitute misdemeanors in office under Section 68 of the Kentucky Constitution, for which she should be impeached, removed from office, and disqualified to hold any office of honor, trust or profit under this Commonwealth.”
Goodman told the Herald-Leader Wednesday that she was unaware of the filing and did not know Timoney personally. She noted she was not surprised by the petition, citing a recent similar filing against Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goodwine.
Timoney largely deferred questions to his petition and a Facebook post. He did not answer whether Goodman’s rulings warranted impeachment or if his filing was politically motivated, given his campaign for the House seat.
The petition cites six cases Goodman handled that Timoney believes justify impeachment, including “refusal to obey legal precedent, outrageous demonstrations of bias, disregard of the separation of powers, and an egregious pattern of judicial activism.”
One highlighted case involved Cornell Thomas, charged with wanton murder in a June 2020 car crash that killed Tammy Botkin. Goodman dismissed the case in 2023, citing racial overcharging and systemic bias by Fayette County prosecutors. The Kentucky Court of Appeals later overturned her ruling and suggested she recuse herself, stating Thomas could not receive a fair trial in her court.
Timoney said he dedicated his first campaign to Botkin, whom he knew personally. House District 45, spanning southwest Fayette County and part of Jessamine County, is now held by Rep. Adam Moore, D-Lexington. Moore narrowly defeated Thomas Jefferson, who beat Timoney in the 2024 GOP primary by 44 points. Timoney faces Jeff Thompson, a former Idaho legislator, in the GOP primary.
The petition also cites two other cases overturned by the Court of Appeals. One involved James Harvey Hendron, a Lexington father who shot and killed his 23-year-old son in 2018. A jury convicted Hendron, but Goodman overturned the conviction due to alleged prosecutorial misconduct. The Court of Appeals restored the sentence, ruling Goodman had overstepped.
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