Louisville Judge Faces Judicial Conduct Commission

Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Olu Stevens has been ordered by Kentucky’s Chief Justice to appear before the state’s Judicial Conduct Commission.

The order came after Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr received a request to have Stevens removed from all criminal cases. The request was denied, but Stevens was found to have violated an agreement with Attorney Tom Wine.

In November of 2014, Stevens dismissed a jury that was all-white in a trial of a black defendant. He agreed with the defense attorney that this would not be a fair trial. Prosecuting attorney, Tom Wine, asked the Kentucky Supreme Court for a legal opinion on a judge’s power to dismiss a jury based on race. Stevens took to social media to voice his disapproval of the move.

In December 2014, Stevens and Wine met in mediation and agreed not to discuss the issue on social media. Stevens failed to comply with the mediation agreement by again taking to social media with comments indirectly aimed at Wine and the pending case.