FRANKFORT, Ky., July 30, 2025 – The Supreme Court of Kentucky will hear oral arguments Wednesday-Thursday, Aug. 6-7, in Lexington. Proceedings are open to the public and will take place at the Robert F. Stephens Circuit Courthouse, 120 N. Limestone St.
The public may observe in person or via livestream. Stream arguments as they happen or later as archives at ket.org/supremecourt.
The justices normally hear arguments in the historic Supreme Court Courtroom at the Capitol, but will be holding proceedings in other counties while the building closes for a multiyear renovation.
The Supreme Court is the state court of last resort and the final interpreter of Kentucky law. Seven justices sit on the Supreme Court and all seven justices rule on appeals that come before the court. The justices are elected from seven appellate districts and serve eight-year terms. A chief justice, chosen for a four-year term by fellow justices, is the administrative head of the state’s court system and is responsible for its operation. The Supreme Court may order a ruling or opinion to be published, which means that the ruling becomes the case law governing all similar cases in the future in Kentucky.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 6, 2025
10 a.m. EDT
RUSSELL COLEMAN, IN HIS OFFICIAL CAPACITY AS ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY V. JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, ET AL. (2023-SC-0498-DG)
View attorneys and links to briefs at https://kcoj.info/SCAug2025.
Declaratory Judgment. Special and Local Legislation. Equal Protection. Standing. Necessary Party. CR 19.01. Issues include: (1) whether certain provisions of Senate Bill 1, codified as KRS 160.370, violate the Kentucky Constitution’s prohibition against special and local legislation under the test set forth in Calloway County Sheriff’s Department v. Woodall, 607 S.W.3d 557 (Ky. 2020); (2) whether the Jefferson County Board of Education had standing to bring suit; and (3) whether the Superintendent was a necessary party.
Discretionary Review Granted: March 6, 2024
Petition for Rehearing Granted: April 24, 2025
Trial Court(s): Jefferson Circuit Court
Presiding Judge(s): Hon. Charles L. Cunningham, Jr.
11 a.m. EDT
MISSIONARIES OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST, INC. V. JOEL FREDERIC, ET AL. (2024-SC-0006-DG)
View attorneys and links to briefs at https://kcoj.info/SCAug2025.
Zoning Ordinance. Conditional Use Permit. Free Exercise of Religion. Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). Issues presented include: (1) whether the City of Park Hills Board of Adjustment violated its zoning ordinance by granting a conditional use permit and setback variance; (2) the appropriate legal standard for RLUIPA claims in Kentucky; and (3) whether denying construction of a religious grotto imposes a “substantial burden” on religious exercise under RLUIPA.
Discretionary Review Granted: June 5, 2024
Trial Court(s): Kenton Circuit Court
Presiding Judge(s): Hon. Patricia M. Summe
1:30 p.m. EDT
NATHAN TORIAN, INDIVIDUALLY, AND AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF A CLASS OF SIMILARLY SITUATED PERSONS COMPRISING THE UNINCORPORATED LABOR ORGANIZATION, THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS, LOCAL 168 V. CITY OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY, ET AL. (2023-SC-0395-DG)
View attorneys and links to briefs at https://kcoj.info/SCAug2025.
Local Governments. Firefighters. Residence Requirements. Emergency Medical Services Providers. KRS 311A.027. Issues include: (1) whether KRS 311A.027, which prohibits publicly funded emergency medical service first response providers from imposing residence requirement upon employees, applies to firefighters employed by the City of Paducah; and (2) assuming the statute applies, whether KRS 311A.027’s “on call” exception, which allows employers to impose response-time requirements on employees who are off duty but on call to respond to work, allows the City to impose a 45-minute response-time requirement upon Paducah firefighters.
Goodwine, J., not sitting.
Discretionary Review Granted: March 6, 2023
Trial Court(s): McCracken Circuit Court
Presiding Judge(s): Hon. William Kitchen
THURSDAY, AUG. 7, 2025
10 a.m. EDT
GEORGETOWN CHICKEN COOP, LLC, ET AL. V. GRANGE INSURANCE COMPANY (2023-SC-0522-DG)
View attorneys and links to briefs at https://kcoj.info/SCAug2025.
Summary Judgment. Contracts. Insurance Law. Issues include: (1) whether the language of the Commercial Umbrella Policy was ambiguous; (2) whether the Commercial Umbrella Policy excluded liquor liability coverage; and (3) whether an umbrella policy may exclude additional coverage for certain claims covered by a primary policy.
Thompson, J., not sitting.
Discretionary Review Granted: June 5, 2024
Trial Court(s): Fayette Circuit Court
Presiding Judge(s): Hon. Julie M. Goodman
11 a.m. EDT
KEITH SMITH, ET AL. V. APEX FUND SERVICES AS CUSTODIAN FOR CERES TAX RECEIVABLES, LLC, ET AL. (2023-SC-0336-DG)
View attorneys and links to briefs at https://kcoj.info/SCAug2025.
Property. Foreclosure. Property Tax Liens. Certificates of Delinquency. Priority. When the proceeds from a foreclosure sale are insufficient to pay all the property tax lienholders in full, do the lienholders divide the proceeds on a pro rata basis or is priority to the sale proceeds established by the order in which the lienholders filed their liens?
Goodwine, J., not sitting.
Discretionary Review Granted: June 5, 2024
Trial Court(s): Clay Circuit Court
Presiding Judge(s): Hon. Oscar House
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