Jillian Rush
Contributing Writer
Murray State alumnus Jeff Roberts was sworn in as a special justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court on April 21.
Roberts took the oath of office for the highest court in Kentucky in his office via teleconference because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. He will replace Justice Christopher Shea Nickell of the 1st District Supreme Court.
Roberts, a Mayfield, Kentucky, native, has been a personal injury lawyer in Murray since 1992. He received his bachelors in criminal justice at Murray State in 1988 and later earned his juris doctorate from Southern Illinois University in 1992.
As a graduate of Murray State, Roberts acknowledged how his college experience has affected his career positively throughout his past 28 years of practicing law and now filling the role as a special justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court
“Murray State gave me a very strong educational background,” Roberts said. “I was a criminal justice major. My studying ability increased significantly while at Murray State and I think that background that I got at Murray State is what helped lead my success in law school and my success so far in practicing law. I think it all goes back to that foundation that was laid there while at Murray State.”
His swearing in as a special justice was advanced to hear the case Alexandria Stanziano, Et Al v. Andrew Cooley, M.D., Et. Al. Roberts was contacted about the opportunity by Gov. Andy Beshear in January and was later appointed in February.
“I was honored with the appointment and honored that the governor chose me to be a special justice,” Roberts said.
A special justice on the Kentucky Supreme Court is not a permanent judge. They are appointed to help fill a place on the supreme court based on previous connections to a case which causes them to have to recuse themselves.
In this case, Justice Nickell had previously been on the court of appeals for the state and on the appeals panel for the Alexandria Stanziano, Et Al v. Andrew Cooley, M.D., Et. Al court case, causing himself to recuse.
Alexandria Stanziano, Et Al v. Andrew Cooley, M.D., Et. Al will be Roberts’ only case that he will hear as a special justice. The case involves a murder that took place in Somerset, Kentucky, in 2014. A Pulaski County county attorney, Mark Stanziano, was shot and killed by Clinton D. Inabnit. The shooting took place just a few days after Inabnit had been released from a psychiatric hospital.
Alexandria is Mark’s widow and Cooley is one of the doctors who was allegedly involved with Inabnit’s treatment at a mental hospital. Stanziano is charging Cooley with releasing Inabnit too early while he was still suffering from mental issues that would have made him not fit for release.
Roberts has a considerable amount of experience working with the Kentucky Supreme Court. He has brought attention to at least 30 to 40 cases for consideration. Roberts said he was sought out for this case based on his field of work as a personal injury lawyer, which fit this case’s credentials.
“I have limited my private practice to personal injury work since I started practicing in ’92,” Roberts said. “I’d like to think my reputation in doing personal injury work is at least why my name has brought out my reputation in handling those types of cases.”