A Kentucky appeals court on Friday voided an arrest warrant for Matt Bevin, a former governor found in contempt of court before a trial to determine whether he owes support to an estranged son.
The order, signed by Judge Audra J. Eckerle, said the arrest warrant was invalid because it had come after Mr. Bevin requested the removal of a family court judge from his case for bias. Under Kentucky law, Judge Eckerle said, the case should have been paused as the chief justice weighed the request.
In a statement, Mr. Bevin’s lawyer, Jesse Mudd, said he appreciated the appeals court’s “swift action” to address the trial court’s “complete disregard for the law.”
“This ruling makes clear that no judge is above the law,” the statement said.
Mr. Bevin, a Republican businessman, entered the governor’s office in 2015, promising to overhaul the state’s foster care system and reduce taxes. He was defeated in 2019 by Andy Beshear, a Democrat now in his second term.
At issue now is whether Mr. Bevin owes child support to his 19-year-old son, Jonah Bevin. Mr. Bevin and his then-wife, Glenna, adopted Jonah Bevin from Ethiopia at age 5.
In 2023, Mr. Bevin and Glenna filed for divorce. The two reached a settlement last year, but not before Jonah, who was still a minor when the divorce was filed, sued to intervene. He argued that he had been mistreated and was due child support.
As a teenager, Jonah had trouble in school and was sent to youth residential facilities, several of which have since been investigated for allegations of abuse. He was arrested in 2023 after accusations that he had assaulted family members, court papers said, and was later sent to a school in Jamaica where conditions were dire.
Judge Angela J. Johnson of Jefferson County Family Court requested financial documents from the Bevins before a child-support trial that had been scheduled for Friday. Ms. Bevin turned over records this month, while Mr. Bevin provided records that were heavily redacted.
On Tuesday, Judge Johnson found Mr. Bevin in contempt of the court, saying he had repeatedly disregarded orders to turn over financial documents. She ordered him to turn over the records she sought or to serve 60 days in jail.
The records issue is now on pause as the court sorts out whether Judge Johnson should be removed from the case.
Lawyers for Jonah Bevin said on Friday that the appeals court decision was “only a temporary reprieve” for Mr. Bevin. “As soon as the Kentucky Supreme Court decides the motion to disqualify the judge, we will resume our efforts to obtain the required documents and relief for Jonah Bevin,” said the lawyers, John Helmers and Melina Hettiaratchi.
Campbell Robertson contributed reporting.
Pooja Salhotra covers breaking news across the United States.
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