Protection order extended against Lexington official accused of making threats
A judge has extended a temporary protection order filed against an elected Fayette County official accused of threatening another former official.
The petition was filed last week against Matt Miniard, who serves as a supervisor on the Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District and was first elected to the district in 2018. He was re-elected in 2022. It was filed by Christopher Rowe, an author and former Fayette County Soil and Water Conservation District supervisor, after Miniard allegedly drove by his home and threatened Rowe and his wife.
The temporary interpersonal protection order was extended Thursday by Fayette District Judge Tiffany Yahr until July 28 — when the next hearing is scheduled to take place. The order requires Miniard to stay away from and not contact Rowe, who served on the same conservation board.
Miniard was not in the courtroom Thursday morning, but called into the hearing. During the phone call, Yahr threatened to mute Miniard after he called Rowe a “nut” several times.
In his petition for the interpersonal protection order, Rowe said Miniard drove by his home more than once in early May.
On May 11 around 3:30 p.m., Miniard allegedly drove by Rowe’s home and stopped.
“Miniard returned, stopped in front our house, and yelled my name,” Rowe wrote in his petition for the protection order. “I wasn’t sure who it was so I asked and he replied, ‘Matt Miniard.’ He then proceeded to verbally abuse me, referring to me as a ‘piece of s---’ and a ‘coward.’”
Rowe then told Miniard he was calling the police.
“He then said, ‘I’m going to f---ing kill you,’ and finally drove away,” Rowe’s petition alleged.
Miniard appeared in a different courtroom Thursday afternoon after he was charged with stalking in a separate case involving one of his tenants, according to court records.
Fayette District Judge Bruce Bell entered a not guilty plea for Miniard and set another court date for June 9.
According to a May 4 arrest citation, Miniard told his tenant “he would shoot him on two separate dates at two different locations.” The tenant alleges Miniard has been trying to evict him by turning off his electricity and removing his belongings from his room, according to a citation into court documents.
Miniard has also served time in jail for assault, according to court records.
Reporter Beth Musgrave contributed to this story.
