FRANKFORT, Ky., Sept. 25, 2025 – The Judicial Nominating Commission, led by Chief Justice of the Commonwealth Debra Hembree Lambert, today announced nominees to fill the circuit and district judicial vacancies for Harrison, Nicholas, Pendleton and Robertson counties. The counties make up the 18th Judicial Circuit and District.

The three nominees for the Circuit Court judgeship are attorneys Joseph Andrew Beckett, Kelli Gaynelle Mulberry and William Joseph Verax IV, all of Cynthiana.

Beckett serves as a prosecutor with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office and earned his juris doctor from Northern Kentucky University’s Salmon P. Chase College of Law.

Mulberry has her own private law practice. She received her juris doctor from University of Kentucky College of Law (now the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law).

Verax serves as of counsel to the John Lair Law Offices in Cynthiana and is the city attorney for Butler. He received his juris doctor from UK College of Law.

The circuit judicial seat became vacant when Judge Jay Delaney retired April 18.

The three nominees for the District Court judgeship are attorneys Mulberry, Gregory Edward James Coulson and Seth Adam Woods, all of Cynthiana. Mulberry applied for the circuit and district judgeships.

Coulson has his own private law practice. He received his juris doctor from Chase College of Law.

Woods serves as a staff attorney to the circuit judge for Harrison, Nicholas, Pendleton and Robertson counties. He received his juris doctor from UK College of Law.

The district judicial seat became vacant when Judge Charles W. Kuster retired Aug. 31.

Circuit Court
Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction that hears civil matters involving more than $5,000, capital offenses and felonies, divorces, adoptions, termination of parental rights, land dispute title cases and contested probate cases. In counties with a Family Court division of Circuit Court, Family Court judges have primary jurisdiction in cases involving family issues, including divorces, adoption, child support, domestic violence and juvenile status offenses.

District Court
District Court judges handle juvenile matters, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, violations, traffic offenses, probate of wills, arraignments, felony probable cause hearings, small claims involving $2,500 or less, civil cases involving $5,000 or less, voluntary and involuntary mental commitments and cases relating to domestic violence and abuse.

Judicial Nominating Commission
The Judicial Nominating Commission helps fill judicial vacancies by appointment when a vacancy occurs outside of the election cycle. The Kentucky Constitution established the JNC. Ky. Const. § 118; SCR 6.000, et seq.

Judicial Nominating Process
When a judicial vacancy occurs, the executive secretary of the JNC publishes a notice of vacancy in the judicial circuit or the judicial district affected. Attorneys may recommend someone or nominate themselves. The names of the applicants are not released. Once nominations occur, the individuals interested in the position return a questionnaire to the Office of the Chief Justice. The chief justice then meets with the Judicial Nominating Commission to choose three nominees. Because the Kentucky Constitution requires that three names be submitted to the governor, in some cases the commission submits an attorney’s name even though the attorney did not apply. A letter naming the three nominees is sent to the governor for review. The governor has 60 days to appoint a replacement and his office makes the announcement.

Makeup of the Judicial Nominating Commission
The commission has seven members. The membership is comprised of the chief justice of Kentucky (who also serves as chair), two lawyers elected by all the lawyers in their circuit/district and four Kentucky citizens who are appointed by the governor. The four citizens appointed by the governor must equally represent the two major political parties, so two must be Democrats and two must be Republicans. It is the responsibility of the commission to submit a list of three names to the governor and the governor must appoint a judge from this list of three.

Administrative Office of the Courts
The Administrative Office of the Courts in Frankfort is the operations arm of the state court system. The AOC supports the activities of nearly 3,300 court system employees and 412 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. As the fiscal agent for the state court system, the AOC executes the Judicial Branch budget.

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