Christian Circuit Judge John Atkins was disciplined Thursday with a public reprimand from the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission. The reprimand stems from two complaints. Atkins waived formal proceedings and agreed to the public reprimand, according to the report.
The commission said it investigated a complaint against Atkins for improperly contacting a police officer in a 2021 assault case. The prosecution had recommended the charge be dismissed.
“The police officer was not just a witness to the events in issue, he was the victim of the alleged assault by the defendant,” the judicial conduct panel wrote in its report. “During the sentencing hearing, Judge Atkins disclosed that he contacted the police officer and asked the officer about the facts supporting the assault charge. The police officer did not testify in court to these facts.
“Judge Atkins took the position, that as the ultimate fact finder, he had the prerogative to talk to or inquire of whomever he wanted and investigate matters independently as part of rendering a decision about disposition of the case.”
A second complaint against Atkins stemmed from his conduct during a trial for one of four defendants charged in connection with child abuse at the First United Methodist Church daycare.
“While the jury deliberated on the charges, Judge Atkins entered the gallery and spoke with the victim’s families and other members of the church,” the report states. “Specifically, Judge Atkins made comments to victims’ parents and members of the church, that security cameras should be required in daycare centers and that he should take it to the city commission.”
The commission concluded that Atkins violated three Rules of the Code of Judicial Conduct. Those require a judge to:
- Act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the independence, integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.
- Not initiate, permit or consider ex parte communications, or consider other communications made to the judge outside the presence of the parties or their lawyers, concerning a pending or impending matter.
- Not investigate facts in a matter independently, and shall consider only the evidence presented and any facts that my properly be judicially noticed.
Atkins is the chief circuit judge for Kentucky’s 3rd Judicial District. He has served as circuit judge since 2000 and won re-election in November for another eight-year term. He is the former commonwealth’s attorney for Christian County.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
