22 YEARS JUDICIAL EXPERIENCE
Civil, Criminal, Family, Juvenile, Probate, Drug Court, Mental Health Court, Trials and Appeals
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MEET JUDGE LISA
Judge Lisa Payne Jones is a dedicated daughter, wife, mother and public servant, raised to value family, hard work, faith, and community.
When I was a kid, I would visit my grandmother in the tiny house where she raised six children and four grandchildren. She grew grape vines on the clothesline and sweet peas on the alley fence. Best of all, my aunt would walk me to the Kresge store where my grandmother worked behind the soda counter and made her famous strawberry pies. My Grandmother, my aunt and my mom instilled in me the value of hard work and family.
Thanks to School House Rock, I learned the Preamble to the Constitution before I could sing the alphabet. In my head, lawyers were superheroes who protected the vulnerable, upheld the Constitution, and helped people settle arguments without resorting to violence. My junior year at Brescia University I interned with John Stevenson. John was the first lawyer I ever met. I spent two years learning the realities of the practice of law…but my path never wavered.
I graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law and entered private practice handling cases involving civil and family law. From there I joined the office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney, prosecuting criminal cases involving sexual abuse, violence, and loss of life. In December of 2001, I was appointed to the District Court bench to fulfill the unexpired term of Judge Gene Lanham. I was elected to the position in 2002, becoming the first woman elected to the bench in Daviess County. In 2019, I was elected to the Circuit bench, and this year, I was appointed to the Kentucky Court of Appeals. I am running in November to keep serving the Commonwealth and the citizens of Western Kentucky.
Putting on the robe, I quickly learned the importance of listening, but I especially learned the importance of explaining my decisions. A good legal opinion is a road map, and with it I can show empathy and compassion while still upholding the law.
Those are also skills that help me as a parent. I met my husband Greg when we both worked together on a play at Theatre Workshop of Owensboro. We were married in 2002. We have two children. Will is a vocal performance major at the University of Kentucky, and Annie just finished her freshman year of high school.
Granny’s house was torn down, and, in the late 1980’s, so was Kresge’s. In its place they built the Daviess County (now the Holbrook) Judicial Center. For the last 22 years, I have worked and walked in the footprints of my grandmother. Granny died before my first election in 2002, but I hope I’ve made her proud.
AWARDS
- Chief Justice’s Award for Special Services to the State
- Distinguished Alumni from Brescia University
- Father Charles Saffer Alumni Hall of Fame Award from Brescia University
- Beacon Award for Daviess County
- Judge of the Year from Kentucky’s Foster Care Review Board
- Judge of the Year from Kentucky’s Court Appointed Special Advocates
- Outstanding Contributions to Law-Related Education in Kentucky
- Young Leaders Award from the Messenger-Inquirer
- Grassroots Leadership Award
- Leadership Owensboro Class of 1999
- Leadership Kentucky Class of 2001
accomplishments
- First Woman Elected to the Bench in Daviess County
- Established the Daviess County Mental Health Court
- Presided over Daviess County Drug Court
- Presided over Daviess County Assisted Outpatient Treatment Court
- Presided over Daviess County Juvenile Drug Court
- Assisted in writing the Rules of Practice and Procedure for Kentucky’s Family Courts
- Assisted in writing the Rules of Practice and Procedure for Kentucky’s Juvenile Courts
- Assisted in writing new Rules of Procedure for Kentucky’s Adult Drug Courts
- Served on the Kentucky Juvenile Justice Task Force
- Served on the Kentucky Juvenile Justice Oversight Council
- Served on the Kentucky Mental Health Commission
- Chair of the Kentucky Juvenile Justice Workgroup
COMMunity involvement
- Girls, Inc.
- Big Brothers/Big Sisters
- Theatre Workshop of Owensboro
- Oasis Domestic Violence Women’s Shelter
publications & presentations
Published: Kentucky Bench & Bar 2019
national speaker
National Center for State Courts; the National Conference of State Legislatures; the National Association of Family and Juvenile Court Judges; the Coalition for Juvenile Justice; National Association of Women in Corrections; and the National Sheriffs Association.
DONATE
Judge Lisa is running for the Court of Appeals to uphold the law of the Commonwealth and the
Constitution of the United States. Judicial races aren’t funded by corporations and super PACs, they rely on everyday people doing what they can. Support the work it will take to get out the vote for Judge Lisa in November by donating today!
Please click here if you would like to make a contribution.
VOLUNTEER
Grassroots in the Bluegrass.
Winning an election takes a team. It takes a community. Neighbor talking to neighbor. Getting the word out and getting the job done! Volunteering is for everyone and judicial races in Kentucky are non-partisan. There is a role for you no matter your age, experience, party affiliation, or abilities. Whether you live in the First District or outside of it, if you support Judge Lisa, we need you to join the team and get involved to keep her on the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
Why am I running?
After serving over 30 years as a judge, Donna Dixon retired in November 2023, creating a vacancy on the Court of Appeals for the First Appellate District. I love research and writing, and I believe my nearly 23 years of experience covers nearly every area of the law (civil, criminal, probate, family, juvenile, trials, specialty courts, and appeals) making me a well-rounded candidate. But I also believe that being a judge is about being a public servant. It’s about providing justice to all in a way that is compassionate, transparent, fair, and true to the laws of Kentucky and to the Constitution of the United States. I loved serving the people of Daviess County in the District and Circuit courts, we accomplished so much together, but I also believe that justice shouldn’t be different zip code to zip code. On the Court of Appeals, I have a voice and a role to play in ensuring justice is fair and equal from Paducah to Pikeville. On the Court of Appeals, I am also in a position to advocate for all of Western Kentucky as I have advocated for Daviess County to improve the delivery of justice, community safety, and the lives of citizens in the First District.
What is the Court of Appeals?
In Kentucky, the District and Circuit Courts are where trials are held. Those courts hear evidence from witnesses, and they rule on motions or objections made at trial. If the losing party believes the judge made a mistake in their case, they have the right to file an appeal. Most appeals in Kentucky are heard by the Court of Appeals. Appellate judges sit in panels of three to look over the decisions made by the trial judges to make certain that those decisions were fair and that the law was properly applied.
There are fourteen judges on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, two from each appellate district who are elected by the people in that district to serve a term of eight years. The first appellate district covers 23 counties in Western Kentucky: Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Daviess, Fulton, Graves, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, McCracken, McLean, Marshall, Muhlenberg, Todd, Trigg, Union, and Webster.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JUDICIAL RACES ARE NON-PARTISAN?
In Kentucky, judicial elections are non-partisan. This means that they are free from party affiliation. The candidates could belong to the same political party, different parties or no party at all. In 2016 and again in 2021, the National Bureau of Economic Research conducted studies and found that non-partisan judicial elections result in higher quality judges who produce better opinions that stand up to review.
It also means that voters must cast their ballot for judges independently. Judicial races are typically at the bottom of the ballot and are not covered if the voter chooses the option for “Straight Party Ticket”. So make sure your vote for judge is counted.
Contact Us
JudgeLisaJones4CourtOfAppeals@gmail.com
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Paid for by the Committee to Elect Judge Lisa Payne Jones - Brenda Clayton, Treasurer