COVINGTON, KY. – Northern Kentuckians for the Judiciary (NKFJ) announced today that it has endorsed candidates in contested judicial races that are on the Nov. 8 ballot in the Northern Kentucky.
“Northern Kentuckians for the Judiciary was created to maintain and improve the quality of the judiciary in Northern Kentucky and to endorse those attorneys who are the most qualified judicial candidates in the region,” said NKFJ Chairman Mark Arnzen, a Covington attorney. “We established high standards and demanding criteria for our endorsement process and we believe these candidates satisfied those standards and criteria.”
Political party affiliations of candidates are not considered by NKFJ as Kentucky judicial elections are non-partisan, as required by Section 127 of the Kentucky Constitution and the Code of Judicial Conduct set forth in KRS 4.300. NKFJ follows and honors those legal and ethical mandates. Unlike others running for office, judges are not politicians whose actions are traced to party lines.
For each candidate interviewed, NKFJ considers the academic and professional achievement, relevant experience, reputation in the community, reputation among the bench and bar and judicial temperament of the candidate. We encourage voters to do likewise.
Following a lengthy and rigorous evaluation of each candidate’s qualifications for election to the bench, and in light of the standards and criteria established for endorsement by NKFJ, the following attorneys are endorsed as the most qualified to serve in their positions:
- Michelle Keller, Supreme Court Justice.
- Suzanne Cetrulo, Court of Appeals Judge.
- Mary K. Molloy, Kenton Circuit Court Judge.
- Kenneth Easterling, Kenton District Court Judge.
- Ann Ruttle, Kenton District Court Judge.
- Brenda Bonecutter, Campbell County Family Court.
- Erin Sizemore, Campbell District Court.
- Kendra McCardle, Boone Family Court.
- Tom Rauf, Kenton Family Court.
- Terri Schoborg, Kenton Family Court.
The NKFJ was organized in 2015 in an effort to maintain and improve the quality of the judiciary for the election of the most highly qualified candidates. The NKFJ consists of a Steering Committee made up of lawyers who are involved in litigation practices and a Citizens Review Board consisting of a cross-section of community-minded citizens with diverse occupations and backgrounds.
Each candidate for the judicial election is interviewed by the Steering Committee. After the interviews have been completed, the Steering Committee considers the information obtained during the interview and share personal knowledge of the candidates. The lay members of the Citizens Review Board are present to monitor the interviews and the integrity of the endorsement process.
The Citizens Review Board must approve the endorsement recommendations made by the Steering Committee.
Members of the Attorneys Steering Committee are:
- Mark G. Arnzen, Chair.
- Jennifer L. Lawrence, Vice-Chair.
- Stephen D. Wolnitzek, Treasurer.
- B. Lind, Secretary.
- John A. Berger.
- Andre Busald.
- Joseph E. Conley, Jr.
- Gerald F. Dusing.
- Sarah Geiger.
- Lawrence T. Hicks.
- Todd V. McMurtry.
- James W. Morgan, Jr.
- Delana S. Sanders.
- Robert E. Sanders.
- David B. Sloan.
- David M. Spaulding.
- Henry L. Stephens.
- Beverly R. Storm.
Members of the Citizens Review Committee are:
- Elizabeth Grause.
- Bert Huff.
- Jack Moreland.
- Joan Robinson.
For more information, visit the NKFJ website at www.nkfj.org.
About Northern Kentuckians for the Judiciary
Founded in 2015, Northern Kentuckians for the Judiciary (NKJF) is a nonprofit organization that is registered with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance as a Permanent Committee. This committee, which consists of lawyers and citizen from throughout Northern Kentucky, seeks to promote the election of the most highly qualified candidates in courts serving Kenton, Campbell and Boone counties. For more information about the organization, visit www.nkfj.org.