FRANKFORT, Ky., Jan. 29, 2025 – Kentucky Specialty Courts today announced that the four Fayette County Drug Court programs attained certification based on their use of best practices to create optimal conditions for participant outcomes.
“We’re very proud of our Specialty Court staff in fulfilling all the requirements for certification,” said Fayette Chief Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Nell Bunnell, who serves as a Drug Court judge. “The certification will ensure that all Kentucky Specialty Courts utilize the best practice standards. Our program is committed to supporting justice-involved individuals with substance use disorders and offering them pathways to healing, hope and a second chance of life.”
Drug Court judges volunteer their time. Other Fayette Drug Court judges presiding over the certified programs are Family Court Judges Traci Brislin and Libby G. Messer and Vice Chief Regional District Court Judge Lindsay Hughes Thurston.
The Fayette programs were evaluated and certified in 2024 with the standards set out in Kentucky Supreme Court Administrative Order 2022-50. The certification is for three years.
Kentucky Specialty Courts certification efforts started in 2023 with the Supreme Court’s adoption of amended rules in the Supreme Court order. The Certification Advisory Committee that oversees the certification process is headed by the chief justice and made up of 11 members.
Other Kentucky Drug Court programs that have received certification serve the jurisdictions of Campbell, Clark, Daviess, Hardin, Jefferson, Johnson, McCracken and Pulaski counties.
Specialty Courts staff continue to work with Drug Courts across the commonwealth that are seeking certification. The goal is for all Drug Court programs to become certified and for Kentucky to be nationally recognized for its certification process.
About Kentucky Drug Court
Kentucky Drug Court operates as part of the Department of Specialty Courts at the Administrative Office of the Courts. Drug Court was Kentucky’s first Specialty Court program. Since being introduced as a pilot program in 1996, Drug Court has grown to all 120 counties.
Drug Court serves nonviolent offenders whose primary challenges stem from substance use disorder. This court-managed program offers treatment, intensive supervision, drug testing and case management at no cost to participants. Some counties provide programs for both felony- and misdemeanor-level offenses. Those who complete the program may have their charges dismissed through diversion or be granted conditional discharge through probation.
To learn more about Specialty Courts, visit https://kcoj.info/SpecialtyCourts.
Administrative Office of the Courts
The Administrative Office of the Courts is the operations arm of the Judicial Branch (Kentucky Court of Justice) and is based in Frankfort. The AOC supports the activities of nearly 3,300 employees and 412 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks and executes the Judicial Branch budget.
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