Cites Com. of Ky. v. Moore — The Commonwealth of Kentucky appeals from an opinion of the Court of Appeals, which vacated and remanded the Carroll Circuit Court's affirmation of the Carroll District Court's imposition of a fine up
Lesley Ryan Cornett was convicted of first-degree possession of a controlled substance after police found LSD in his vehicle during a traffic stop, though he testified he believed the substance was Suboxone. The Court of Appeals affirmed, and the Kentucky Supreme Court granted review to address whether the possession statutes require proof that the defendant knew the specific identity of the controlled substance. The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, holding that the statutes require the Commonwealth to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant knowingly and unlawfully possessed a controlled substance but do not require proof that the defendant knew the particular identity of that substance. The court reasoned that the statutory language focuses on knowledge of possessing a controlled substance generally, distinguishing this case from precedents involving belief that the substance was not controlled at all.
In this case, Cornelius Baskin was convicted by a jury of first-degree aggravated trafficking in fentanyl, first-degree trafficking in methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, alcohol intoxication in a public place, and being a first-degree persistent felony offender, resulting in a 25-year prison sentence. On appeal, Baskin challenged the trial court's denial of his Batson motion to a peremptory strike of a juror, among other issues. The Kentucky Supreme Court held that the Commonwealth failed to provide a sufficient race-neutral reason for the strike and that the trial court erred in overruling the challenge, constituting structural error. The court reversed the conviction and remanded for a new trial, while rejecting Baskin's other claims on the merits. The core reasoning centered on the three-step Batson analysis requiring evaluation of whether the prosecutor's explanation was pretextual.
This case concerned claims by the estate and minor children of Joshua Fuson against Mercy Regional Emergency Medical System and an EMT for alleged negligence and wrongful death arising from medical care provided during a 2018 incident that led to Fuson's death. The minor children asserted a separate loss of parental consortium claim. The trial court granted summary judgment to the defendants, finding the claims barred by the statute of limitations under KRS 413.140(1) and not tolled for the minors. The Court of Appeals reversed as to the minors' consortium claim, and the Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed that reversal. The Court held that the plain language of KRS 413.170(1) tolls the limitations period for minors' claims, permitting the children to prosecute their independent loss of parental consortium claim at any time.
R.L.P. was charged with his father's murder but found incompetent to stand trial and unlikely to regain competency, leading the Commonwealth to petition for his involuntary commitment under the new KRS Chapter 202C rather than the prior Chapters 202A or 202B. He appealed, raising due process and equal protection challenges to Chapter 202C along with claims that the enacting legislation violated sections 46 and 51 of the Kentucky Constitution. The Supreme Court of Kentucky affirmed the commitment order, holding that the statutory procedures satisfied constitutional requirements and that the bill was validly enacted. The core reasoning was that Chapter 202C provided adequate safeguards, including counsel, a guardian ad litem, notice, and a two-phase hearing process, while addressing the gap where individuals charged with serious offenses could not otherwise be committed if they could not benefit from treatment.
The case involved sitting Kentucky circuit judge Julie Muth Goodman challenging impeachment proceedings brought by the state House of Representatives, which were based on a petition alleging abuse of discretion in several cases, some still pending. The Supreme Court of Kentucky granted her petition for a supervisory writ, declared House Resolution 124 and the articles of impeachment void ab initio, and enjoined any further impeachment action against her. The court reasoned that its constitutional supervisory authority over the Court of Justice was properly invoked because the legislature's actions attempted to supersede the judicial branch's role in supervising judges and correcting errors through the appellate process.
The case concerned a Catholic church's application for a conditional use permit and setback variances to construct an outdoor grotto shrine with a plaza and path on leased land next to its existing building in a residential zoning district. The Park Hills Board of Adjustment denied the request because the zoning ordinance limited churches and their accessory uses to locations adjacent to arterial streets, and the church's site was on a collector street. The Supreme Court of Kentucky affirmed the Court of Appeals' holding that the denial did not violate the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), reaching that conclusion on different grounds from the lower court. The decision turned on the application of RLUIPA's substantial burden and equal terms provisions to the facts of the zoning enforcement.
