Courthouses in Louisville, KY
Louisville is an exciting small town with buzzing tourist activities in Kentucky. The Kentucky Derby draws people from far and wide in the first weekend of May, but they also stream in their numbers all year round to explore the Bourbon capital of the world. The city’s history also resides in its courthouses, most of which have been around since the 18th century. Below are the courthouses in Louisville Kentucky.
Jefferson County Judicial Center
The Jefferson County Judicial Center is located on 700 W. Jefferson St., Louisville, KY. The building goes back to 1837, and it was designed by Gideon Shryock. The building was renovated in 1905 after a fire destroyed the original structure.
The Judicial Center is a circuit court that handles civil lawsuits exceeding $5,000, felonies, capital offense cases, and real estate property cases. The court has jurisdiction to issue concerning injunctions, court orders to lower courts and appeals from the District Court and other government agencies.
The Civil Division
The Civil Division of the Jefferson County Judicial Center hears complaints involving fines of $5,000 and more. Such cases would typically include personal injury, DUI felonies, medical malpractices, property damage and appeals from administrative boards.
Circuit Criminal Division
The criminal division handles felony indictments and information cases. Here the accused can pay fines, restitution, parole fees, and probation fees when ordered by the Criminal Division. This department also aids in processing bail and bonds.
There is only limited parking at the Jefferson County Judicial Center. Visitors can easily find parking in several public spaces in the area.
Jefferson County Family Court
This Courthouse is located at the Jefferson County Judicial Center, but it has a different jurisdiction and ten divisions headed by ten different judges. This family case handles cases to do with relationships and the intimate aspects of social relations. The courts operate on a general rule of one court and one judge per family case.
Cases heard at the Jefferson County Family Court include divorce, alimony cases, child support, child custody and visitation, adoption, paternity, child neglect, abuse, and emancipation.
Jefferson District Court
The Jefferson District Court is located at the Louis D. Brandeis Hall of Justice on 600 W. Jefferson St. Louisville, KY. The district court has a lesser jurisdiction compared to the circuit court. Vass heard here include juvenile delinquency, misdemeanors, violations and traffic offenses among others. All these cases, if they do, must have damage claims of less than $2,500. In regards to civil cases, the fines or damage claims should not exceed $5,000.
The court building was initially constructed in 1973 and since undergone several renovations. The Louis D. Brandeis Hall of Justice is a five-story structure made of glass and concrete. The main entrance the northeast corner.
The Small Claims Department
This division of the court handles small cases involving fine and claims of not more than $1,500, ad civil cases of damages up to $5,000. Such may include forcible eviction, administrative board appeals, juvenile petitions to marry, motions to prevent cremations, petitions in childhood sexual abuse, and student driver’s license hearings.
Traffic Division
This department provides bench clerks for criminal and traffic courts. The traffic division also does record keeping for all open case files and plans the other courts’ calendars. The Traffic Division is where people can post bail bonds, pay fines as ordered by courts in cases and file evidence of completed probation and community work.
Supreme Court of Kentucky — 4th District
The Supreme Court sits at the Jefferson County Judicial Center on Jefferson Street in Louisville, KY. The Supreme Court is the highest court and the final appeals court in the state. The Supreme Court of Kentucky comprises of seven appellate districts headed by seven different judges.
The Supreme Court of Kentucky is tasked with handling appeal cases from lower courts and can issue supreme opinions and decisions on cases without retrials. Court cases involving the death penalty and life sentence can jump straight from the circuit courts to the Supreme Court.
Court of Appeals of Kentucky — 4th District
The Appeals Court of Kentucky is also located at the Jefferson County Judicial Center. Jefferson Street Louisville, KY. The court appeals hear appeal cases from the lower courts where losing parties may not be satisfied by judges’ decisions in the District or Circuit Courts.
However, the appeals court does not handle cases like criminal acquittals and divorces. You can, however, appeal for cases like child custody and property rights at the Appeals Court of Kentucky. The Appeals Court has 14 judges appointed from the seven court districts in the state. Louisville has a comprehensive judicial system that includes the circuit court, the general district courts, appeals courts, and the state Supreme Court.
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Directions from Jefferson County Judicial Center to Coulter Reporting