FAMILY COURT: Seven attorneys vying for new judgeship

Oct. 19—Election day is creeping up on us, November 8, 2022. On the ballot this year, there are seven candidates running for the brand new family court judge (27th Circuit, Division 4) position that was created in April by the Kentucky State Legislature to handle the overload of cases in Laurel and Knox counties. Here is an overview of the seven nominees that are running for the position.

Lucas Joyner

Joyner is a well-known lawyer with an office in London where he has practiced for the last 16 years — having earned his juris doctorate from the Florida Coastal School of Law.

Married with four daughters ranging in ages nine through 14, Joyner leads the youth group at First Baptist Church in East Bernstadt and coaches basketball, soccer and softball.

"If I am elected, I hope to continue to have an impact on kids and make decisions to be in their benefit," Joyner said. "I hope to give people a fair shot in life."

When asked about addiction ruling the court dockets in Knox and Laurel counties, Joyner explained, "Addiction is destroying our community, causing a lot of people to be raised by aunts, uncles, grandparents and the foster system. But I don't thing that means we give up on the parents."

He went on to say, "I think the most important thing I can do is to make sure everyone feels like they are being heard. Whether it is parents dealing with their kids being ripped from them because of addiction, grandparents trying to get visitation with their grandkids, or whatever the situation is, I just want to let everyone know I am going to let their voice be heard.

"The kids are the most important part of the case, and more often than not, they are the ones who have the least say, I'm hoping to change that." Joyner concluded.

Doug Benge

Benge is also a well-known lawyer who practices law in Laurel/Knox and the surrounding counties. Benge is an accounting graduate from the University of Kentucky, who went on to further his education at the law school at the University of Kentucky and has practiced law in London for the last 29 years.

Benge, who currently serves as Laurel County's Master Commissioner, refers to himself as a "country lawyer," saying, "I do everything that is asked of me and am smart enough to know what I don't know."

He has devoted most of his time practicing in family court cases — over 4,500 cases In family court alone.

"I'm qualified for this job, not only because of my professional career, but I have had personal experience with custody issues and divorce," Benge said. "I know what it's like to negotiate on parenting time and in divorces. I know the pain that comes along with that, I've learned on both personal and professional levels what works and what doesn't."

On top of all Benge's accolades, he is also a state-trained Family Law Mediator and has successfully mediated hundreds of cases without the court's intervention.

"I have the education, work and personal experience to decide all property, custody and debt aspects of divorce, as well a the real life experiences to compassionately decide custody, parenting time and other issues," Benge explained.

Chris Miniard

Miniard is a lawyer in Laurel County who has dedicated his life to being involved with children, especially when it comes to sports. Miniard has coached more than 40 teams in various sports over 25 years such as wee ball, softball, basketball, soccer and archery. He and his wife Deanna have been married for 28 years with and have three grown daughters together.

"I think as family court judge, you are really able to impact a whole lot of lives," he said. "Addiction is probably the number one issue we have in all of our courts, not just family court....A lot of counties have started a more treatment-oriented approach rather than punitive. You still have to punish folks, but I think more treatment programs offered to them in family court would be beneficial."

Miniard and his wife are very active in their church. Both are Sunday school teachers; he is a deacon as well as youth ministries director, communications director and head of security at Swiss Colony Baptist Church.

"A lot of people know me as 'Coach Chris.' I have always been involved with children, always wanting them to succeed, and I will do the same as family court judge," Miniard explained. "We have to be patient with folks who are going through divorce, custody and other things that bring people into court our goal is to keep the family together as best as we can."

Miniard got his law degree from the University of Kentucky. Professionally, he has served at various points as an assistant commonwealth attorney, hearing officer for the Department of Juvenile Justice as well as directing attorney of the local public defender office where he supervised about 15 people covering Laurel, Knox, Whitley, Clay and Leslie counties.

"I have the experience from doing family and criminal law," he said of his 25-year career. "I can see different cases from different perspectives as well as the want to, to see these kids succeed."

Harold Dyche

Dyche has been practicing law for 23 years. Prior to that, he worked in the court system as a pretrial officer for seven and a half years.

Upon graduating law school from Regent University, Dyche first served as a staff attorney for the Kentucky Court of Appeals before going into private practice. In 2005, he joined the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office as a full-time assistant prosecutor before joining Brandon Storm's practice in 2014.

"We took whatever came through the door," Dyche said of cases large and small, though he added that he began to regularly practice in juvenile court at this point.

After four years, Dyche returned as an assistant commonwealth's attorney on a part-time basis, which allowed him to retain his private practice.

"As a prosecutor, I see some of the same people that may wind up in family court," Dyche said of his desire to run for the new bench. "A lot of times, it's for the same reasons. I'm limited as a prosecutor as to what I can do for somebody...As a family court judge, you've got more options available to help people get out of that cycle. I am really excited about that opportunity to help people."

Along with substance use issues, family court deals with divorce and custody cases — something Dyche knows well as a child of divorce himself.

"I have pretty vivid memories of what it was like when I was leaving one parent and going with another," he said. "I realize no matter how small you think the decision is that you're making...it really has the ability to affect that child's life for the rest of their life."

Dyche and his wife have four children, and have been involved with the Laurel County Life Center for some 20 years. He prides himself on being the only candidate endorsed by the Kentucky Right to Life Victory PAC (political action committee).

Jill Osborne Edwards

Edwards graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law and moved to London with her husband Eric, where they began their law practice in 1998. She has focused almost exclusively on family law since 2002.

"I have always loved family law," Edwards said, "even as a law school student....My life journey as a mother, a divorced parent, a single parent, and a stepparent has enriched my family law practice and inspired me to enlist both my personal and professional experience in service as your next Family Court Judge."

If elected, Edwards has three top priorities, the first being that all parties feel heard. "Every person in Family Court needs to know that I intend to allow the time necessary for each party to have a fair chance to testify, put on witnesses and offer evidence/proof," she said, adding her hope to make more court days available.

The second is to provide resources needed depending on the case, with emphasis on child well-being. The third is to ensure a level playing field in the courtroom.

"It is critical to me as both a practitioner and a person of integrity to achieve a professional environment where the public's faith in the judiciary is firmly reestablished," Edwards said. "...The faith of the public in the judicial process is being steadily eroded. This is devastating to our Republic, which was founded on and relies on three branches of government with checks and balances. The judiciary is to remain nonpartisan. I must speak plainly — there is absolutely no room for politics in the Family Court."

The Edwardses have two sons.

Jonathan Jones

Jones always wanted to be a lawyer growing up in Laurel County but didn't pursue it until later in life — graduating from law school in Alabama in 2012. He points to his childhood, being adopted by his stepfather at age 4 then living with his mother as a teenager after his parents' divorce, as informing of his practice.

"These experiences have helped me to be very aware of the concerns and emotions that families who are adopting, separating, divorcing, etc. are feeling as they go through the family court process," Jones said. "These experiences are why I'm running for family court judge."

If elected, Jones pledges impartiality and respect.

"I will follow the law and the facts of each case rather than my own beliefs and opinions," he said. "I will work diligently to expedite cases in a timely manner."

Chris Mills

Mills was born and raised in Knox County — going to school right down the street from Knox County Courthouse.

"I aspired since childhood to work as an attorney and judge so that I can be of service to our communities with my passion for the law," Mills said, adding that inspiration came from his late grandfather, James Warren. "...I have practiced law in Knox and Laurel counties for almost 15 years and have spent the past eight years representing the people of Knox County as their Assistant County Attorney."

Mills asserted that his work as both a prosecutor and private attorney qualifies him for the bench.

"I am the only candidate to prosecute juvenile cases, child removals for abuse and neglect, child support enforcement in Family Court, District Court, and Circuit Court, and domestic abuse," he said. "Along with prosecuting hundreds of cases I have represented hundreds of other clients in Family Court as a private attorney. Among many other cases, I have years of experience in child custody, divorce, child support, domestic abuse, and adoptions as a private attorney. Not only have I represented hundreds of clients from Knox and Laurel Counties, I have been through a divorce in Family Court myself. I understand exactly how hard and stressful Family Court can be and promise to treat each and every case with the respect and care it deserves and further promise to render fair decisions in a timely manner to reduce the stresses of Family Court especially on the children who might be involved."

If elected, Mills wants the Knox and Laurel Family Court to be a model throughout the commonwealth and move beyond the boundaries of the courtroom.

"I want to create an environment in the community that knows about Family Court and how it operates," he said. "The people of Knox and Laurel Counties should be proud of their court system and deserve elected officials who routinely get outside of the courthouse, have fellowship with them, and take the time to listen what issues are affecting the community and how I and Family Court can better those issues. Court in general should be something that stands as a bright beacon for the community and helps to set the tone of togetherness, family, and community."

Mills and his fiancee Shannon Philpot share a blended family with seven children.