Kelly Thompson Jr.
Non-Partisan | Kentucky
Candidate Profile*
Leans Activist
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Kelly Thompson Jr.
Party
Non-Partisan
Election Year
2022
Election
General
Race
Supreme Court, 2nd District
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
WKU, bowling green,ky, BA, 1968
University of Kentucky, Lexington,ky, Law degree, 1972
WORK & MILITARY
US Army, PFC, 1970-76
none
AFFILIATIONS
Lions., vice president, Rotary Club
none, Chamber of Commerce, none
American Legion, None
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Judge Court of Appeals, 2006-to date
none
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Justice Supreme Court Kentucky, 2022
Race
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
LIBERAL (5)
*United Auto Workers
*Kentucky AFL-CIO
*Kentucky Educators' PAC
*International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 89
*United Mine Workers Kentucky COMPAC
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (2)
International Brotherhood of Teamsters (2014)
International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (2006)
OTHER INFORMATION
Judge Thompson has served on the Kentucky Court of Appeals 2nd Appellate District since 2006.
Judge Voter Guide gave 3 stars.
QUESTIONNAIRE
VALUES
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Disagree
I really do not understand it. and as I may have such a case in the future ,I cannot discuss even if I could understand it.
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Strongly Agree
The Ten Commandments are great rules to govern my actions
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
people who do not believe in God are ignorant, arrogant, and self important
What types of pro bono work have you done?
I have won the pro Bono award by the Kentucky Bar Association I was the chief Public Defender in a county with over 100K population for 23 years.
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
no
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
I have been at the top of the Judicial system for 16 years. I was a staff attorney for Kentucky's highest Court. I tried over 500 trials, by myself, in US District and Ky Circuit Courts. I was certified a Civil Trial Specialist by an accreditation approved by the American Bar Association. I have attended over twenty seminars presented by the Antonin Scalia Law School of George Mason University. I personally handled dozens of appeals in the US Supreme Court,Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals,Kentucky Supreme Court and the Kentucky Court of Appeals. .
Why should the voters choose you?
I have been in training for this job for years. My opponent has no experience as a Judge. I have over 1000 written opinions to understand my Judicial philosophy, My opponent has none.
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
Did not answer
I was a Member of the Republican Party until 2005 when I was elected Judge. I then changed my registration to Independent. therefore I cannot vote in primiaries.
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
Justices should not interpret the federal and state constitutions as living documents, but should use a textualist and originalist approach to interpretation.
Agree
What is the proper use of legislative history in interpreting statutory law?
very limited. the plain interpretation words of the Statute control the interpretation.
Which current or past U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
Justice Clarence Thomas
How should a court address the balance between public health and individual freedoms in the time of a pandemic?
infringement of individual freedoms deserves extreme scrutiny to protect against arbitrary intrusion.
In light of the case Bostock v. Clayton County, in which the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include a prohibition on sexual-orientation discrimination, which justice’s opinion most closely aligns with your own opinion?
I have never encountered this case. I will follow the decisions of our Supreme Court
What role (if any) does a judge have in maintaining the separation of church and state?
in 15 years of deciding controversies, I have not encountered this question. so, I must respond very little role
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Agree
When should a judge overturn past court decisions?
never, if there are no conflicts in precedent
How should a judge determine which rights are protected by the Constitution even though they are not specifically mentioned?
I try to limit my opinions to the issues argued.
What legal principles should a court consider when evaluating parents’ objection to their child obtaining medical procedures or drugs designed to affirm the child’s desired gender?
the best interest of the child.
What principles should guide a court’s analysis of whether your state’s constitution gives terminally ill patients a right to assisted suicide?
the legislature will have to address that issue. I will follow the law they pass.
Would you describe your judicial philosophy as originalist, living constitutionalist, or something else?
I just try to be fair to all parties.
