Kentucky’s district judges are throwing their support behind constitutional amendment two on the November 3 ballot—as it would require six more years of experience for candidates looking to become a district judge and would lengthen their term limits from four to eight years.
Candidates are currently required to have at least two years of experience as a licensed attorney.
Christian District Judge Foster Cotthoff is president of the Kentucky District Judges Association and says you’re more likely to encounter a district judge than any other elected person in court and you want him or her to be well-qualified.
He says having very little experience as an attorney would make it difficult to be an effective judge.
Judge Cotthoff understands concerns about less accountability to voters with longer terms, but asserts judges need to be independent from politics as much as possible.
Circuit judges in Kentucky already have eight-year terms.
The amendment would also extend terms of commonwealth’s attorneys from six to eight years.