August Issue of KAS Monthly Featuring Interview with Judge Ann Bailey Smith Released

The August 2017 issue of Kentucky Appellate Survey Monthly was released today, featuring an interview with Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Ann Bailey Smith in the fourth installment of our "Judicial Focus" series.

Judge Smith follows former Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Mary Noble, Circuit Judge David A. Tapp of the 28th Judicial Circuit, and Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge Denise Clayton as subjects of the series, which strives to bring the bench and bar together by providing the insights and perspectives of Kentucky's judges on a wide range of issues.

Judge Smith has presided in Division 13 of the Jefferson Circuit Court since January of 2015. Previously she served as a judge on the Jefferson District Court, including as Chief District Judge.

Prior to her service on the bench, Judge Smith served as a trial attorney for over 25 years as a defense attorney, prosecutor, and law firm associate. She served as a Staff Attorney with the Louisville Metro Public Defender, representing juvenile clients in numerous bench trials, clients in district court jury and bench trials who were facing involuntary hospitalization as a result of mental inquest warrants, and representing indigent adults accused of crimes in both district and circuit court, ranging from traffic offenses to capital murder cases. Judge Smith served as lead counsel in more than fifty circuit court felony jury trials and as co-counsel in three death penalty trials. During her time at the Public Defender’s Office, Judge Smith served in a supervisory capacity for thirteen years in the Adult and Capital Trial Divisions.

Judge Smith has also served as a prosecutor with the Jefferson County Attorney’s office, where she prosecuted approximately thirty jury trials and was entrusted with trying all DUI jury trials for the office. She also has civil litigation experience, working as an associate with Goldberg & Simpson, P.S.C., where she practiced in the areas of personal injury, adoption, divorce, child custody, and criminal law.

Judge Smith graduated from the University of Louisville in May 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and from the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville in May of 1982, where she was a member of the Journal of Family Law (now the University of Louisville Law Review). She is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association and the Louisville Bar Association, former Chair of Citizens for Better Judges, and former President of the Louis D. Brandeis American Inn of Court. She is the 2002 Recipient of the Gideon Award, which is “awarded to the person who has demonstrated commitment to equal justice and who has courageously advanced the right to counsel for poor people in Kentucky” and the 1998 Award for Outstanding Alumna of the Brandeis School of Law.