Kentucky Judge Suspended for Courtroom Misconduct

Kentucky Judge Lauren Ogden has been suspended for 30 days following a report detailing violations of the Code of Judicial Conduct. The Jefferson County Family Court judge, 50, was found to have engaged in a pattern of inappropriate behavior during court hearings.

According to the decision, Ogden wore a shirt emblazoned with champagne glasses while her judicial robe was unzipped during one hearing. In other instances, she was observed eating and texting on her phone during proceedings. The conduct commission received numerous complaints related to seven cases.

Allegations detailed in the report include failures to provide due process, improper notice, and denying attorneys the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses. In one custody case, the commission found that Ogden did not make findings in the best interests of a child and incorrectly allowed a non-custodial parent to remove a child from the mother's custody without notice, an action later overturned by the state Court of Appeals.

In another case, the commission stated that Ogden did not restore a father's unsupervised parenting time for six months after the Court of Appeals ordered it. The report also found instances where she allegedly did not read case pleadings, considered matters without testimony, and made findings based on hearsay.

Ogden's courtroom demeanor was also scrutinized. The commission reported instances of her making facial expressions like rolling her eyes and smirking, laughing at participants, whispering questions to opposing counsel, and muting a defendant while telling him to "sit in the corner and be quiet." She also made comments about a defendant's stability and expressed shock at his military service.

The commission concluded that these actions demonstrated a "lack of impartiality" and a failure to maintain "proper order and decorum." Ogden has acknowledged the concerns and accepted responsibility for her conduct.

"Every person who comes into my courtroom should leave knowing that he or she was heard. That responsibility rests with me. Families who come before the Family Court deserve both prompt attention and a full hearing, and I am committed to providing both. I respect the work of the Judicial Conduct Commission, and I accept its Order," Ogden stated through her attorney. Her suspension began on November 8.