LEXINGTON — A former Kentucky state representative has filed an impeachment petition against Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Goodman, citing what he calls a pattern of legal overreach and misconduct — including her now-reversed dismissal of a murder case stemming from a fatal Lexington crash.
Killian Timoney, a Republican who previously represented House District 45 and is running to regain the seat, submitted the petition to the Kentucky House of Representatives this week. In the filing, Timoney argues Goodman committed “misdemeanors in office” under Section 68 of the Kentucky Constitution and should be removed from the bench.
“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 in the petition.
Goodman told the Herald-Leader she was not aware of the filing before being contacted and declined to comment on the substance of the allegations.
Appeals court rebuke at center of petition
Timoney’s petition leans heavily on a December decision from the Kentucky Court of Appeals that reversed Goodman’s dismissal of a high-profile Fayette County case involving Cornell Denmark Thomas II.
Thomas was indicted by a grand jury on wanton murder and leaving the scene of a fatal accident after prosecutors said he drove nearly 100 mph through a red light on Leestown Road in 2020, striking a vehicle driven by 50-year-old Tammy Botkin. Botkin died at the scene.
In 2023, Goodman dismissed the indictment, ruling Thomas was not criminally responsible due to mental illness and further concluding he had been selectively prosecuted because of his race. She also cited prosecutorial misconduct.
The Court of Appeals vacated that decision in a more than 100-page opinion, reinstated the indictment, and sharply criticized Goodman’s handling of the case. The panel said the trial court committed multiple legal errors, including:
- Improperly weighing evidence before trial
- Deciding factual questions reserved for a jury
- Misapplying criminal procedure rules
- Relying on information outside the court record
- Exceeding the court’s authority in dismissing the indictment
The appellate court described the ruling as “fraught with legal errors and abuses” and said Goodman had intruded into roles assigned to the grand jury, prosecutors and trial jurors.
The case has since been remanded for further proceedings.
Other reversals cited
Timoney’s petition lists five additional cases in which he argues Goodman overstepped her authority. Among them is the case of James Harvey Hendron, a Lexington man convicted of murdering his adult son in 2018. After a jury trial, Goodman overturned Hendron’s conviction, citing prosecutorial misconduct. The Court of Appeals later reversed her ruling and reinstated the conviction.
Timoney argues these decisions show “a pattern of disregard for precedent, separation of powers, and judicial restraint.”
Political context
Timoney is currently seeking to reclaim the House District 45 seat he lost in the 2024 Republican primary. The district, which includes parts of southwest Fayette County and Jessamine County, is considered politically competitive.
In social media posts announcing the impeachment petition, Timoney said he dedicated his first campaign for office to Tammy Botkin, whom he said he knew personally.
Goodman, who has served on the Fayette Circuit Court bench for more than a decade, has also drawn attention in recent months after the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office intervened in multiple cases from her court. Separately, impeachment efforts have been discussed involving other members of Kentucky’s judiciary.
What happens next
Under Kentucky law, impeachment proceedings begin in the state House of Representatives. A majority vote is required to approve articles of impeachment, after which the case moves to the Kentucky Senate for trial. Judges can be removed from office only if two-thirds of senators vote to convict.
No lawmakers have publicly said whether they plan to pursue Timoney’s petition.
Meanwhile, the Thomas case — the incident that prompted the most pointed rebuke from the Court of Appeals — is expected to move forward in circuit court.