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A RESOLUTION declaring that the Kentucky Supreme Court's opinion and order 1
of April 6, 2026, is unconstitutional. 2
WHEREAS, since the adoption of Kentucky's first C onstitution in 1792, the power 3
of impeachment has been vested solely in the House of Representatives; and 4
WHEREAS, the adoption of the Judicial Article amendments in 1975 did not limit 5
or circumscribe the authority of the House of Representatives to exerci se its power of 6
impeachment; and 7
WHEREAS, the framers of the Judicial Article amendments in 1975 left no room 8
for doubt that the adoption of the amendments did not limit or circumscribe the authority 9
of the House of Representatives to exercise its power of impeachment when they 10
included a revised Section 109 of the Constitution of Kentucky to state, "The 11
impeachment powers of the General Assembly shall remain inviolate"; and 12
WHEREAS, no opinion, order, or other action of the Court of Justice can limit or 13
circumscribe the Constitution of Kentucky's vesting of the impeachment power in the 14
House of Representatives and the power to try impeachments in the Senate; and 15
WHEREAS, any opinion, order, or other action of the Court of Justice that purports 16
to limit or circumscribe the Constitution of Kentucky's vesting of the impeachment power 17
in the House of Representatives and the power to try impeachments in the Senate is void 18
and ineffective because it is unconstitutional and directly contradicted by the plain, 19
inescapable, and unambiguous language of the Constitution of Kentucky; and 20
WHEREAS, on March 20, 2026, the House or Representatives adopted House 21
Resolution 124 which approved as adopted five Articles of Impeachment against Julie 22
Muth Goodman, Circuit Judge for the 22nd Judicial Circuit consisting of Fayette County; 23
and 24
WHEREAS, the five Articles of Impeachment in House Resolution 124 explained 25
how Judge Goodman's conduct constituted "misdemeanors in office" which are 26
impeachable under Sections 66, 67, and 68 of the Constitution of Kentucky; and 27
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WHEREAS, on April 6, 2026, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued an o pinion that 1
purported to exercise the Court's supervisory writ power under Section 110 of the 2
Constitution of Kentucky, which is textually limited in scope to "writs necessary in aid of 3
its appellate jurisdiction, or the complete determination of any cause , or as may be 4
required to exercise control of the Court of Justice," over the General Assembly, where 5
the Kentucky Supreme Court's supervisory writ power cannot reach; and 6
WHEREAS, the Kentucky Supreme Court purported to enjoin the General 7
Assembly from e xercising powers that the Constitution of Kentucky vests solely in the 8
General Assembly, which the Kentucky Supreme Court has no power to enjoin; and 9
WHEREAS, the Kentucky Supreme Court purported to announce a newly -invented 10
principle that the scope of the impeachment power is limited to "the rarest of 11
circumstances in which a sitting judge has committed either an actual, indictable crime or 12
an offense in office constituting the most reprehensible moral turpitude," which is a 13
principle that the Kentucky Sup reme Court has no authority to invent, announce, or 14
enforce; and 15
WHEREAS, the Kentucky Supreme Court's opinion of April 6, 2026, encroaches 16
on and attempts to usurp powers that the Constitution of Kentucky vests solely in the 17
General Assembly, not in the Court of Justice; 18
NOW, THEREFORE, 19
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 20
Commonwealth of Kentucky: 21
Section 1. This honorable body affirms tha t the impeachment powers of the 22
General Assembly remain inviolate and declares that those powers cannot be limited, 23
circumscribed, or otherwise violated by the Kentucky Supreme Court or anyone else. 24
Section 2. This honor able body declares that the Kentucky Supreme Court's 25
opinion of April 6, 2026, is unconstitutional, null, and void. 26
Section 3. This honorable body declares that House Resolution 124 and the 27
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Articles of Impeachment agains t Judge Goodman were properly adopted and remain 1
valid. 2
Section 4. This honorable body declares that when a judge abuses the powers of 3
the office she holds, she commits a misdemeanor in office for which impeachment and 4
removal from office is warranted, consistent with the first Article of Impeachment set 5
forth in House Resolution 124. 6
Section 5. This honorable body declares that when a judge defies binding 7
precedents established by the highest courts of this Commonwealth, she commits a 8
misdemeanor in office for which impeachment and removal from office is warranted, 9
consistent with the second Article of Impeachment set forth in House Resolution 124. 10
Section 6. This honorable body declares that when a judge defies statutes 11
enacted by the General Assembly and defies rules of the Kentucky Court of Justice, she 12
commits a misdemeanor in office for which impeachment and removal from office is 13
warranted, consistent with the third Article of Impeachment set forth in House Resolution 14
124. 15
Section 7. This honorable body declares that when a judge interferes with the 16
rights and powers of the grand jury, trial court jurors, attorn eys, and others to perform 17
their respective roles with the Court of Justice, she commits a misdemeanor in office for 18
which impeachment and removal from office is warranted, consistent with the fourth 19
Article of Impeachment set forth in House Resolution 124. 20
Section 8. This honorable body declares that when a judge abuses the powers of 21
the office she holds; defies binding precedents from the highest courts of this 22
Commonwealth, statutes enacted by the General Assembly, and rules of the Kentucky 23
Court of Justice; and interferes with the rights and powers of the grand jury, trial court 24
jurors, attorneys, and others to perform their respective roles within the Court of Justice, 25
she commits a misdemeanor in office for which imp eachment and removal from office is 26
warranted, consistent with the fifth Article of Impeachment set forth in House Resolution 27
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124. 1
Section 9. This honorable body declares that it rejects the Kentucky Supreme 2
Court's unco nstitutional opinion and order of April 6, 2026, as precedent that should 3
guide its exercise of its impeachment power in the future. 4
Section 10. This honorable body declares that it has the sole authority to tax 5
costs, a ttorney's fees, or other expenses in relation to impeachments, that no costs, 6
attorney's fees, or other expenses shall be taxed or assessed related to any impeachment 7
or impeachment petition presented to or considered by the 2026 Regular Session of the 8
General Assembly, and that any attempt to do so is void. 9