LEXINGTON, KY — A Lexington man, Demetrius Ramon Gill, also known as Demetrius Ramon Jones, pleaded guilty on Thursday to drug trafficking and firearm possession charges. The plea agreement was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Gill was charged with “Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine” and “Felon…
by Sarah Ladd, Kentucky Lantern Kentucky crime victims are no longer getting automated notifications regarding their cases, Henderson County Attorney Steve Gold told members of the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary Thursday. The Victim Information and Notification Everyday or VINE system has proved “an essential life saving tool for victims of crime” in the…
by Jordan Hensley, Legislative Research Commission FRANKFORT — Last year, the Kentucky General Assembly passed legislation to collect statewide data on domestic violence. The Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center’s (CJSAC) inaugural report was released a few months ago. On Thursday, the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary discussed the report for the first time. The…
Lexington, KY — A significant drug bust in July led to the seizure of a large shipment of methamphetamine and fentanyl, believed to be headed to Lexington from Detroit, Michigan. The bust came ahead of another significant operation on August 29, where 15 firearms and a large amount of narcotics were seized in two separate DEA…
By Paul Oliva, The Lexington Times LEXINGTON, Ky. — As the opioid crisis continues to ravage communities across the United States, the allocation of settlement funds has become a contentious issue. Lexington’s newly formed Opioid Abatement Commission is at a critical juncture, facing the monumental task of deciding how to best use these funds.…
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A recent federal sentencing in the Eastern District of Kentucky has brought renewed attention to a growing national concern: the proliferation of Glock switches, small devices that can turn semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons. On Thursday, an Indiana man was sentenced to 84 months for trafficking these machine gun conversion…
Lexington, KY — In a significant operation that unfolded this week, federal agents arrested Khmari Duane Laurice Smith, 21, and Khari Qunarll Smith, 23, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The arrests followed a months-long investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in conjunction with…
Try ‘that‘ in a small town by Jennifer P. Brown and Julia Hunter, Hoptown Chronicle, Kentucky Lantern In the wake of an officer’s controversial social media post that drew both support and outrage from community members and tens of thousands of TikTok users, Hopkinsville Police Chief Jason Newby says he’s coordinating plans for all officers to…
by Jordan Hensley, Legislative Research Commission FRANKFORT — Traditional detention isn’t the only option for children in Kentucky’s juvenile justice system. Margo Figg, director for the Division of Classification and Placement for the Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice, gave a presentation on the alternatives to detention during Friday’s Juvenile Justice Oversight Council meeting. “The…
by Nancy Royden, Legislative Research Commission FRANKFORT — The Interim Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection heard impassioned testimony Tuesday from those who lost loved ones to fentanyl, and some lawmakers vowed to continue fighting the drug through legislation. Three women involved with The Never Alone Nick Rucker Foundation – a…