Jefferson County Family Court judge suspended 30 days for judicial conduct violations

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB+WAVE) — A Jefferson County Family Court judge was suspended for 30 days for violating the Code of Judicial Conduct.

The ruling, which Judge Lauren Adams Ogden agreed to, says she “failed to perform her judicial duties competently and failed to comply with the law in several cases she adjudicated.”

According to the suspension order, the Judicial Conduct Commission received numerous complaints about Ogden’s conduct and reviewed video and written records.

The commission found Ogden violated the Code of Judicial Conduct by:

• Failing to perform judicial duties competently
• Failing to comply with the law
• Failing to apply the law fairly and impartially
• Failing to perform judicial duties without bias or prejudice
• Failing to accord every person the right to be heard according to the law
• Failing to uphold order and decorum

In one of the seven cases cited, the Judicial Conduct Commission said Ogden denied a man due process by not permitting him to introduce evidence or giving him a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

“The standard is very low,” Ogden said to the man. “I just have to decide who to believe.”

In other cases, the order said Ogden:

• “Facilitated the bodacious action of a non-custodian to remove a child from its mother’s sole custody in another state without notice to the mother.”
• “... incorrectly represented” to the respondent that the hearing was “just to talk about your kids” and said she used a sarcastic tone, waved her hands and refused to let him cross-examine.
• Didn’t consider all of a person’s evidence and did not allow him to respond to all of the allegations. She made findings “based upon hearsay statements attributed to a child who did not appear as a witness,” the suspension order states.
• Asked someone for an opinion on mental health and made several facial expressions, including dropping her jaw in amazement.
• Told the defendant during a hearing he was “hostile,” did not “seem stable” and was “just rogue,” according to the order. The order also said she commented that she was “shocked” he was in the military and said she would order a full psychiatric evaluation without any basis in the record.

The Judicial Conduct Commission said this, along with another response, violated the judge’s duty to maintain impartiality and fairness.

During another hearing, the suspension order states Ogden muted the defendant on Zoom after two or three interruptions and told him he did not have a valid objection “just because (he) disagree(d).”

When the defendant unmuted himself, Ogden scoffed, placed the defendant back on mute and said, “We are going to have you sit in the corner and be quiet.”

The suspension order states Ogden repeatedly limited testimony.

In another hearing, Ogden appeared exasperated and confused, said, “I’m done,” and ended the hearing after saying, “This is crazy.”

The suspension order states Ogden conducted a hearing with her judicial robe unzipped, revealing a shirt with a design of two champagne glasses. In another hearing, she ate food and texted during the proceedings.

“In determining the appropriate sanction, the Commission has considered that Judge Ogden has acknowledged the concerns raised in these proceedings and has accepted responsibility for the administration of her courtroom and docket,” the Judicial Conduct Commission said in the suspension order.

The suspension begins at midnight Nov. 8 and ends at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 8. She won’t receive pay during the 30-day suspension and must complete an educational course related to the proper conduct of hearings and due process within six months of the order.