Title IV, Judicial Branch

Crime Report may be combined. The Administrative Office of the Courts may combine its annual report in KRS 27A.460 with the Kentucky Uniform Crime Report.

pro bono legal assistance. (1) For each judicial district, the Chief Justice of the Commonwealth of Kentucky shall designate a nonprofit agency to operate and administer programs for the provision of legal services to indigent clients involved in civil matters within the judicial…

The agency designated pursuant to KRS 27A.600 shall have the following duties in carrying out the provisions of KRS 27A.600 to 27A.640: (1) To develop, operate, and administer programs within the judicial district or districts served to provide free legal services to indigent cli…

All designations made by the Chief Justice pursuant to KRS 27A.600 to 27A.640 shall be forwarded to each circuit clerk for the judicial district or districts which shall be served by the agency designated.

collected -- Funding of legal services for children. (1) Upon receipt of notice of designation of an agency by the circuit clerk, there shall be added to the filing fee in all civil actions filed in Circuit Court the sum of twenty dollars ($20), and to all civil actions filed in …

Any fees awarded as a result of legal services provided pursuant to provisions of KRS 27A.600 to 27A.640 shall be payable to the designated agency through which the services were provided and shall be subject to the provisions of KRS 27A.630(4). If fees are recovered by an attorn…

As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Court" means a Circuit or District Court of this Commonwealth and includes any judge of these courts. (2) "Name" includes an identifying number.

The Supreme Court may make and amend such procedural rules as may be necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter.

(1) A list of all persons over the age of eighteen (18) and holding personal identification cards under KRS 186.4122 or valid driver's licenses which were issued in the county, of the names and addresses of all persons filing Kentucky resident individual income tax returns which …

Selection of additional jurors -- Summonsing jurors from adjoining counties. (1) Each Circuit or District Judge shall inform the Chief Circuit Judge or the Chief Circuit Judge's designee of the need for qualified jurors. (2) The Chief Circuit Judge or designee shall regulate the …

(1) The Chief Circuit Judge shall cause to be mailed or delivered with the summons to each juror a juror qualification form accompanied by instructions to fill out and return the form by mail or hand delivery to the clerk within five (5) days after its receipt, or to be completed…

(1) The Chief Circuit Judge or one (1) or more judges of the court, the court's clerk, a deputy clerk, the court's administrator, or a deputy court administrator so designated by the Chief Circuit Judge shall determine on the basis of the information provided on the juror qualifi…

There shall be no automatic exemptions from jury service.

be excused. (1) Upon the request of a prospective juror prior to assignment to a trial court, the Chief Circuit Judge, or after the juror's assignment to a trial court, the trial judge may excuse such juror upon a showing of undue hardship, extreme inconvenience, or public necess…

The contents of any records or papers used by the Administrative Office of the Courts or the clerk in connection with the selection process and not required to be made public under this chapter shall not be disclosed, except in connection with the preparation or presentation of a…

(1) Except as set out in this section, in any twenty-four (24) month period, a person shall not be required to: (a) Serve or attend court for prospective service as a petit juror more than thirty (30) court days except when necessary to complete service in a particular case; or (…

At the conclusion of his period of service as required by this chapter, each juror shall be discharged.

(1) A person summoned for jury service who fails to appear as directed shall be ordered by the court to appear forthwith and show cause for his failure to comply with the summons. If he fails to show good cause for noncompliance with the summons, he may be punished for contempt. …

(1) An employer shall not deprive an employee of his employment, or threaten or otherwise coerce him with respect thereto, because the employee receives a summons, responds thereto, serves as a juror, or attends court for prospective jury service. (2) If an employer discharges an…

(1) All jurors in Circuit and District Court shall be paid five dollars ($5) per day for jury service. In addition thereto, they shall be paid seven dollars and fifty cents ($7.50) per day as reimbursement of expenses incurred, which sum is hereby determined to be the equivalent …

personnel, equipment, and services. (1) The sheriff or city police, as appropriate, shall be responsible for meals, housing, and other incidental needs of grand jurors and petit jurors in Circuit Court and in District Court when the jurors are kept overnight or otherwise sequeste…

The court may adjourn the whole or part of the petit jury to any day of their required periods of service, but they shall not be paid for the time they stand adjourned. The grand jury may be adjourned in like manner without pay.

A grand jury shall consist of twelve (12) persons, nine (9) of whom concurring may find an indictment.

(1) A regular grand jury shall be summoned upon the order of the Chief Circuit Judge. The grand jury shall be convened at least once every four (4) months at such time as may be designated by the Circuit Court. The court may require the grand jury to convene more often if the end…

proceedings prohibited. (1) Except as allowed under the Kentucky Rules of Criminal Procedure, a person present during any part of a grand jury proceeding shall not knowingly: (a) Record any testimony or evidence presented during the proceeding; or (b) Disclose or disseminate at a…

(1) Any Chief Circuit Judge may summon for cause a special grand jury to deal with a situation requiring lengthy investigation which cannot be adequately handled during the term of the regular grand jury. (2) A special grand jury shall remain in session until discharged by the co…

If a juror selected is incapable of serving as a grand juror but capable of serving as a petit juror, the judge may, for good cause shown, release the juror from grand jury service and retain him as a petit juror.

The court shall swear the grand jury using substantially the following oath: "Do you swear or affirm that you will hear and weigh carefully all the evidence presented to you, and that you will do your duty as prescribed by law, and that you will carry out carefully any investigat…

The grand jurors shall elect one (1) of their members to be foreman. The foreman shall administer an oath to each witness who testifies before the grand jury, substantially as follows: "Do you swear or affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the trut…

At any time for cause shown, the court may excuse a grand juror either temporarily or permanently and may swear another grand juror from a current jury panel in place of the one excused. The discharge of any such grand juror shall in no way or manner affect any indictment found b…

(1) Defendants shall have the right to a jury trial in all criminal prosecutions, including prosecutions for violations of traffic laws, in the Circuit and District Courts. The defendant may request a jury trial at any time prior to the time his case is called for trial. (2) Ther…

verdict. (1) Juries for all trials in Circuit Court shall be composed of twelve (12) persons. Juries for all trials in District Court shall be composed of six (6) persons. (2) In Circuit Court, at any time before the jury is sworn, the parties with the approval of the court may s…

(1) The voir dire examination of petit jurors shall be conducted in the manner prescribed by the Supreme Court. (2) The parties shall have the right to challenge jurors as follows: (a) There shall be an unlimited right to challenge jurors for cause; and (b) The number of perempto…

The court shall swear the petit jurors using substantially the following oath: "Do you swear or affirm that you will impartially try the case between the parties and give a true verdict according to the evidence and the law, unless dismissed by the court?".

(1) If the jury is permitted to separate, either during the trial or after the case is submitted to them, they shall be admonished by the court that it is their duty not to converse with, nor allow themselves to be addressed by, any other person on any subject of the trial; and t…

Procedure for rendering verdict. (1) When the case is finally submitted to the jury, they shall retire for deliberation. When they retire, they shall be kept together in some convenient place, under the charge of an officer, until they agree upon a verdict or are discharged by th…

(1) The jury fee for a civil trial in Circuit Court and District Court shall be set in accordance with KRS 48.195. (2) The jury fee shall be assessed as costs against the unsuccessful party upon judgment or dismissal of the action. (3) If two (2) or more cases are consolidated by…

(1) Any employer who violates KRS 29A.160(1) or (2) is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. (2) Any willful violation of KRS 29A.010 to 29A.330 for which a penalty is not otherwise provided by statute shall be punishable as a Class A misdemeanor. (3) Any person who violates: (a) KRS …

administrative control of Chief Justice. (1) For the purpose of KRS 30A.010 to 30A.190, "clerk" means the Circuit Court clerk serving in his capacity as clerk of both the Circuit Court and the District Court. (2) As personnel within the Court of Justice, clerks are state officers…

(1) The Administrative Office of the Courts, under the direction of the Supreme Court, shall provide initial training courses and, at least once every two (2) years, continuing education courses for circuit clerks and deputy clerks concerning the dynamics of domestic violence, ef…

Every clerk and deputy, in addition to the oath prescribed by Section 228 of the Constitution, shall, before entering on the duties of his office, take the following oath in presence of the Circuit Court: "I, ....., do swear that I will well and truly discharge the duties of the …

(1) All clerks, deputy clerks, and other persons employed in the office of the clerk shall be bonded to the Commonwealth for the faithful performance of their duties and for the accounting of all funds which may come into their hands by virtue of their office. They shall be cover…

Every Circuit Court and every District Court shall have a clerk's office in each county, and shall have such branch offices within the county as are approved by the Supreme Court. Minimum office hours of the clerk's offices shall be determined by the Supreme Court.

deputy clerks -- Compensation. (1) The number and qualifications of deputy clerks and other employees in the office of each clerk shall be determined by the Administrative Office of the Courts after consultation with the clerk concerned. All deputies and employees of the clerk's …

for preparation and acceptance of bail bonds by other public officers or employees. (1) Each clerk shall prepare in a proper manner every bond to be taken by or given before him or his court. (2) The clerk shall refuse any surety offered in a bond to be taken by him who is, in hi…

Every clerk may administer oaths, in or out of court, touching any matter in which an oath may be legally administered, and may take any affidavit requested or permitted in the progress of a proceeding in his court.

order of Supreme Court. (1) Every clerk shall maintain all records, files, dockets, and indexes as are prescribed by statute or rule. (2) All necessary record books and all necessary supplies required by the clerk's office shall be procured through the Administrative Office of th…

(1) Unless the plaintiff has established his right to prosecute as a poor person as provided by statute or rule, each clerk shall, when a proceeding is filed in his court, collect the filing fee fixed by law. He shall also collect any charges which have accrued during the progres…

At the termination of an action, every clerk shall assess the costs of each party and file it with the case. The assessment shall be subject to correction by the court by motion upon notice given.

Reports to the Finance and Administration Cabinet -- Penalty. (1) Each clerk shall pay to each juror and to each witness the compensation allowed to him by law, under appropriations provided by the General Assembly and in accordance with procedures governing expenditures from app…