Texting during court, ignoring orders: Kentucky judge suspended without pay for conduct issues

Taylor Six, Lexington Herald-Leader on Oct 26, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Louisville judge has been suspended without pay after the state’s Judicial Conduct Commission found she had committed a long list of misconduct and other violations.

Lauren Adams Ogden was suspended from the Jefferson County Family Court bench in an order issued Monday in which the JCC said she was guilty of bias, due process violations, failure to follow appellate rulings and improper courtroom conduct.

The Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission, a body that investigates and sanctions judge misconduct, suspended Ogden for 30 days beginning Nov. 8. During that time, she cannot go to the judicial center, perform judicial duties or access court resources, according to the order.

The commission cited eight cases that they said established a pattern of misconduct, rather than being isolated incidents.

As a family court judge, Ogden hears child custody cases. The report found Ogden was changing custody or restricting parenting time without adequate notice, factual findings or abilities for the parents to participate.

Ogden also failed to allow parents to present evidence, cross-examine witnesses or respond to allegations.

In one case, the JCC said Ogden ruled that a father of three could no longer have unsupervised parenting time with his children despite the fact that she didn’t sufficiently find reason for endangerment. The Court of Appeals reversed her order, but she refused to reinstate the father’s unsupervised parenting time in five separate hearings.

She ultimately restored the prior parenting schedule six months after the appeals court’s ruling, the JCC said.

In a domestic violence case, the JCC said Ogden rendered an order without sufficient findings of fact and with no documentary evidence in the record. In its ruling, the JCC said Ogden denied one person due process in that case by not letting him introduce any evidence or be heard.

“The standard is very low. I just have to decide who to believe,” Ogden said during that case, according to the JCC’s order.

She also demonstrated bias, the commission found, through comments and facial expressions.

Several examples listed across the eight cases include dropping her jaw in amazement, eye-rolling, eating and texting during proceedings and making comments either for or against people in her court.

“Collectively, these actions by Judge Ogden demonstrate bias and lack of impartiality and highlight her failure to uphold proper judicial decorum,” the order reads. “For these reasons, Judge Ogden has engaged in misuse of judicial authority and has undermined public confidence in the integrity, impartiality, and independence of the judiciary.”

In addition to her unpaid suspension, Ogden will have to take an educational course before she returns to the bench. She was appointed by former Gov. Matt Bevin in 2018, and reelected in 2022. Her current term expires in January 2031.

______