Knott County courts shut down after suffering ‘significant water damage’ in flood

Due to historic flooding across much of Eastern Kentucky, the Knott County Judicial Center has suspended court operations indefinitely.

The judicial center located at 53 W. Main St. in Hindman is non-operational for holding court, operating court offices and other essential court functions, according to a news release from the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts.

“The Knott County Judicial Center sustained significant water damage,’ said Leigh Anne Hiatt, a spokesperson for the Administrative Office of the Courts. “It is currently being cleaned by SERVPRO and will later undergo an analysis by a structural engineer before it can be occupied.

“The elevators will be inspected later this week or early next week by an elevator service contractor, and in all likelihood they will need major repair.”

Accordingly, the Supreme Court of Kentucky has entered Administrative Order 2022-39, an emergency order which legally closes the court and give judges the authority to extend deadlines as needed. It applies to all cases in Knott County and all cases in which one or more person involved lives in Knott County or has an attorney who primarily does business in Knott County.

The Knott County Chief Circuit Judge Kim Cornett Childers has closed the judicial center until the building can safely reopen.

Knott County was one of the hardest hit areas when flooding devastated Eastern Kentucky. Of 37 total deaths reported on Tuesday, Knott County has lost 16 residents.

This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 1:26 PM.

Taylor Six

Lexington Herald-Leader

Taylor Six is the criminal justice reporter at the Herald-Leader. She was born and raised in Lexington attending Lafayette High School. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University in 2018 with a degree in journalism. She previously worked as the government reporter for the Richmond Register.