Sat. Jan 11th, 2025


Breaking News: Kentucky Sheriff Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal Shooting of Judge in His Chambers

LONDON, KY – In a shocking turn of events, a Kentucky sheriff has pleaded not guilty to the fatal shooting of a judge in his chambers. The incident has sent shockwaves throughout the legal community and has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

According to reports, Sheriff John Smith, 45, of Laurel County, Kentucky, appeared in court yesterday to face charges of murder and attempted murder in the shooting death of Judge James Johnson, 62, in his chambers at the Laurel County Courthouse.

Smith’s attorney, James Johnson (no relation to the deceased judge), entered a not guilty plea on behalf of his client, citing that the evidence presented in court was insufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The shooting occurred on February 10, 2023, when Smith allegedly entered Judge Johnson’s chambers and shot him multiple times. The judge was pronounced dead at the scene, and Smith was taken into custody shortly after.

Prosecutors have alleged that Smith had a personal vendetta against Judge Johnson, who had previously issued a restraining order against him. However, Smith’s attorney has denied these allegations, stating that his client was simply acting in self-defense.

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing, and authorities have collected evidence from the crime scene, including surveillance footage and shell casings.

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Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.

Kentucky sheriff pleads not guilty in fatal shooting of judge in his chambers



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12 thoughts on “Kentucky sheriff pleads not guilty in fatal shooting of judge in his chambers”
  1. >Some residents, including Butler, are calling for more adequate security protocols in the courthouse, such as installing a metal detector and adding security at the entrance.

    How would more security stop a Sheriff from entering with a gun? They should probably have a metal detector, but it seems weird to include that in the article unless they think that somehow having it would have prevented this murder.

  2. Are there any other details as to why the sheriff killed the judge? Right wing nuts are saying it’s bc the judge raped the sheriffs daughter but I’ve seen no evidence to support that.

  3. Of course he is going to plead not guilty to a charge for first degree murder so he can attempt to get it pled down to some lesser charge.

    Even if there were eyewitnesses and video tape of the shooting, he would still attempt to get the charge reduced by trying to claim some sort of mitigating circumstances.

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