Andrew Wolfson reports on Tim Philpot's Public Reprimand
Outspoken judge on gay marriage sanctioned
A conservative Family Court judge who has called gay marriage an “oxymoron” like “jumbo shrimp” has been sanctioned by the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission.
The agency issued a public reprimand against Fayette Circuit Judge Timothy Philpot, saying it received information during a preliminary investigation that he requires married couples with children to participate in special hearings to determine whether their marriage is irretrievably broken but does not require hearings with couples who do not have children.
The commission also said it was told that Philpot was providing third parties with facts about the cases that were not part of the public record to assist them in research and teaching duties.
In a Jan. 6 opinion, it concluded that Philpot violated a rule that requires judges to perform their duties fairly and impartially, and another which prohibits judges from lending the prestige of their office to advance the private interests of others and from disclosing nonpublic information acquired in a judicial capacity.
The order says that Philpot did not contest the reprimand.
More on Judge Philpot
The Courier-Journal in September reported that Philpot, a former state senator, appearing before Francis Asbury Society in Wilmore, Ky., said he loves homosexuals but their relationships are “sterile” and “just entertainment.” He also called the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2015 legalizing gay marriage “pretty close to insane” and warned that “there is no question that polygamy is on the way.”
Chris Hartman, director of the Fairness Campaign, said at the time that Philpot “clearly has a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be LGBT” and that “personally, I would never want Mr. Philpot making decisions about my family, given the fact he has deep disrespect for LGBT people and their families.”
In interviews, Lexington lawyers who have represented gay clients in Philpot’s court say he has been fair to them, and he said in an email that “my views on the deep spiritual nature of marriage have never stopped me from following the law and being fair to all people, including those who identify themselves as LGBT.”
The agency issued a public reprimand against Fayette Circuit Judge Timothy Philpot, saying it received information during a preliminary investigation that he requires married couples with children to participate in special hearings to determine whether their marriage is irretrievably broken but does not require hearings with couples who do not have children.
The commission also said it was told that Philpot was providing third parties with facts about the cases that were not part of the public record to assist them in research and teaching duties.
In a Jan. 6 opinion, it concluded that Philpot violated a rule that requires judges to perform their duties fairly and impartially, and another which prohibits judges from lending the prestige of their office to advance the private interests of others and from disclosing nonpublic information acquired in a judicial capacity.
The order says that Philpot did not contest the reprimand.
More on Judge Philpot
The Courier-Journal in September reported that Philpot, a former state senator, appearing before Francis Asbury Society in Wilmore, Ky., said he loves homosexuals but their relationships are “sterile” and “just entertainment.” He also called the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2015 legalizing gay marriage “pretty close to insane” and warned that “there is no question that polygamy is on the way.”
Chris Hartman, director of the Fairness Campaign, said at the time that Philpot “clearly has a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be LGBT” and that “personally, I would never want Mr. Philpot making decisions about my family, given the fact he has deep disrespect for LGBT people and their families.”
In interviews, Lexington lawyers who have represented gay clients in Philpot’s court say he has been fair to them, and he said in an email that “my views on the deep spiritual nature of marriage have never stopped me from following the law and being fair to all people, including those who identify themselves as LGBT.”
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