Bench & Bar January/February 2025

What advice would you give to new lawyers? My advice to new lawyers is to work hard, ignore office gossip, and jealously guard your reputation, especially for honesty. When I was still in practice, I caught another lawyer in an absolute lie. That situation was worked through, but the one thing I knew about this lawyer was that he had a problem with the truth. When I became a judge, the lawyer appeared in front of me on occasion. I never held what I knew about the lawyer against his client, but I also made him prove everything he ever said. In other words, I was never able to afford him a presumption of truth and veracity that I might have otherwise to an officer of the court. So, to new lawyers, zealously represent your client, but maintain your reputation for honesty. You never know when opposing counsel might become a judge! Obviously, many other people have been involved over my career, my children, Browning, J.T., Charles and Jennie; my siblings, George, Tom and Carlisle who have always been sup portive; the rest of my extended family; many, many friends who worked on my campaigns in various ways; and, of course, my wife, Lucy. Lucy and I have been together since 2015. I was already planning to run for Supreme Court in that year, 2015, so date night over two years frequently included name tags! I greatly appreciate her patience, understanding and advice in that effort. Were there any people that had a significant impact on your career? If so, who were they and can you describe their impact? My parents, George and Carla VanMeter. Parents instill in their children ethics and habits that last a lifetime. My parents were about being kind to others, doing the right thing, working hard and trying one’s best in every endeavor. During high school and college, I worked for my dad on the farm, which meant getting up at 6:00 a.m. and coming home late afternoon or early evening. When I ran for Supreme Court, I had a day when I was putting up signs in Jessamine County before dawn, had lunch at an event in Boyle County, then went to Franklin County to meet officials and supporters, then returned to Anderson County for a dinner, and then headed back to Jessamine to put up more signs. Dawn to dusk. When I got home, I called Lucy Ferguson, now my wife, and told her of my day concluding with the comment that I wish my dad had been with me. The moment I said that, I realized he had been with me all along. My first wife, Lucy Bryans VanMeter. When I decided to pursue a judicial career, her exact words to me were, “You want to be a judge, be a judge. I’m going to raise your children.” In Kentucky, judicial service can involve a political campaign, especially early in one’s career or if one attempts to move to higher judicial office. Lucy never warmed to the role of “polit ical spouse.” Lucy and I have four children and she was an exceptionally good mother. Her devotion to our family permitted me to pursue each of the three lower rungs of Kentucky’s judiciary. Lucy died suddenly of a cerebral aneurysm in July 2010. William T. Bishop, III. Buddy Bishop was my main legal mentor at Stoll, Keenon & Park. He had an equine law practice with a stable of clients (pun intended) that was truly remarkable. Equine law, however, is shorthand designation for “general practice of law,” which entailed business organizations and planning, real estate, taxation, uniform commercial code, horse sales/purchases, stallion syndications, estate planning, trusts and estates, with a little bit of litigation thrown in. Buddy taught me how to be a lawyer, and instilled the values that there is a reason for everything we do, do your work, do not bother me unless absolutely necessary and don’t mess it up! And, Buddy had about five clients that he really liked to work for, so everything else flowed to me. A great situation for a young lawyer. William M. Lear, Jr . Bill Lear was another SK&P lawyer. Bill was also in the legislature at the time I first got appointed to district court. I believe his influence with Governor Brere ton Jones got me the nod in that appointment. Bill remained a political mentor, especially during elections.

If you could turn any dissent, you authored or joined, into a majority opinion, which one would you select and why? Every one, because I was right! Judge Paul Gudgel always advised that judges speak only through their opinions and orders, and no other way. Out of respect for my colleagues, past and current, I will adhere to that advice in this instance. That noted, written dissents are valuable, even short ones, since they serve to point out how the dissenter(s) disagree with the majority. If a judge either concurs in result only or dissents without opinion, then the parties, lawyers and other judges are left wondering what exactly was the point of disagreement. That point of disagreement might be very important for the next case when the facts might be slightly different.

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