FRANKFORT, Ky., Nov. 6, 2024 – Chief Justice of the Commonwealth Laurance B. VanMeter will give his final State of the Judiciary address at 11 a.m. EST Thursday, Nov. 7, before the Interim Joint Committee on Judiciary. The meeting is open to the public and media and will take place in Room 149 of the Capitol Annex in Frankfort. 

Chief VanMeter is not seeking reelection and will retire from the bench Jan. 5, 2025.

Watch the event live at https://kcoj.info/streamSOJ2024 or visit the link later to watch a recorded version.

Chief Justice VanMeter’s 2024 State of the Judiciary remarks will serve as a roadmap for the future of the Judicial Branch in leadership, policy and technology, including a new case management system to help the Judicial Branch thrive in the digital age. He will highlight the need to improve juror compensation and probate processes and will discuss significant progress being made on mental health initiatives.   

Following Chief Justice VanMeter’s address, the Administrative Office of the Courts Department of Pretrial Services will present an update on the implementation of the Behavioral Health Conditional Dismissal Program provided under Senate Bill 90, which the Kentucky General Assembly passed in its 2022 Regular Session. The AOC is advancing one of the legislation’s primary goals – addressing behavioral health needs at critical points in the justice system.  

The chief justice is responsible for the administrative operations of the Judicial Branch and presents the State of the Judiciary each year. Chief Justice VanMeter has served as a Supreme Court justice since 2016 and took office as chief justice in January 2023 after his colleagues elected him to the post. He has served on the bench for nearly 30 years and at all four levels of the Kentucky court system.

###