Supreme Court: Removal of KY judge accused of sexual activity in office was justified
A state panel was justified in removing a judge from office based on findings that she committed numerous ethics violations, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday.
The former judge, Dawn Gentry, appealed to the Supreme Court after the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission removed her from office in August.
Gentry was appointed family-court judge in Kenton County in 2016 and was elected to stay in the office in 2018.
The commission ruled that Gentry’s violations included having court employees work on her campaign while they were on the state payroll; pushing out a female employee so she could hire a man with whom she was having a relationship; approving pay for employees when they were working on her campaign; filing a misconduct complaint to retaliate against an lawyer who had cooperated with the commission’s investigation; and being dishonest with the commission.
Gentry was initially accused of having sexual activity in the office.
The commission said Gentry testified the alleged sexual activity was only simulated as a prank.
But the commission also noted Gentry first said she was not in a “sexual and/or romantic” relationship with the male employee, but later admitted that was not true.
Gentry had a folder on her cell phone with pictures of the man’s genitals, the commission said.
Gentry argued in her appeal that the Judicial Conduct Commission should have dismissed some charges against her, committed a number of errors and engaged in vindictive prosecution.
Gentry also argued the proof against her on some charges was insufficient, and that removing her from office was too harsh.
However, the high court said in a unanimous decision that Gentry minimized the extent of her improper conduct.
It upheld the commission’s decision to remove her.
