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A RESOLUTION directing the appointment of a committee to determine whether 1
there is sufficient cause to institute impeachment proceedings against Ronnie Lee Goldy, 2
Jr., Commonwealth's attorney for the 21st Judicial Circuit consisting of Rowan, Bath, 3
Menifee, and Montgomery Counties, and present articles of impeachment to the House of 4
Representatives. 5
WHEREAS, on July 15, 2022, the Inquiry Commission of the Kentucky Bar 6
Association filed a petition for the temporary suspension of Ronnie Lee Goldy, Jr. from 7
the practice of law pursuant to SCR 3.165(1)(b), alleging that Mr. Goldy posed a 8
substantial threat of harm to his clients or the public; and 9
WHEREAS, on August 4, 2022, Mr. Goldy filed a Verified Response to Petition for 10
Temporary Suspension and requested oral argument; and 11
WHEREAS, pursuant to Order of the Supreme Court of Kentucky, Special 12
Commissioner Jean Chenault Logue conducted an evidentiary hearing to create a record 13
from which the Supreme Court could determine whether probable cause existed to 14
believe that Ronnie Lee Goldy, Jr.'s alleged professional misconduct posed a substantial 15
threat of harm to his clients or the public; and 16
WHEREAS, Mr. Goldy acknowledged that he met Misty Helton in 2015 or 2016 17
while she was a defendant incarcerated in the Rowan County Detention Center and 18
communicated directly with her via Facebook Messenger, but testified that he had no 19
recollection of sending the documents presented to him at the hearing and could not tell 20
whether the documents were accurate or complete as they did not come from him; and 21
WHEREAS, Mr. Goldy initially denied that he had received photographs from Ms. 22
Helton, but later in his testimony acknowledged that he had received nude pictures on 23
two different occasions; and 24
WHEREAS, Mr. Goldy acknowledged that he had sent money to Ms. Helton; and 25
WHEREAS, Mr. Goldy acknowledged that Ms. Helton had called him several times 26
when she asked him to change court dates and he identified at least two occasions on 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 292
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which he had warrants for failure to appear in court recalled on her behalf and a new 1
court date assigned, and that another occasion on which he contacted a District Court 2
judge and advised that Ms. Helton needed additional time for payment; and 3
WHEREAS, Mr. Goldy stated that their communications were within normal 4
procedure for the Commonwealth's attorney's office, as he would often contact the court 5
to move a court date or recall a warrant upon the request of a defendant if there was a 6
valid reason for the request and that this was "stuff he does every day"; and 7
WHEREAS, Mr. Goldy initially testified that he could not recall ever requesting a 8
video from Ms. Helton, but later clarified that in late April or early May of 2018, Ms. 9
Helton advised him she had a video of purported illegal activity and that he asked her to 10
send the video to him and that he would get it into the right hands; and 11
WHEREAS, Ms. Helton testified that she met Mr. Goldy in 2015 while she was an 12
inmate in jail and has had a personal relationship with him since 2015; and 13
WHEREAS, Ms. Helton identified the documents produced at the hearing as 14
conversations she had with Mr. Goldy on Facebook Messenger; and 15
WHEREAS, Ms. Helton testified that she and Mr. Goldy communicated from 2015 16
until the day before she was arrested in 2022 through various means, including Facebook 17
Messenger, texting, and phone calls, as well as personal meetings; and 18
WHEREAS, Ms. Helton testified that some of these communications included nude 19
photographs of her and further requests from Mr. Goldy for videos; and 20
WHEREAS, Ms. Helton testified that on October 28, 2018, Mr. Goldy advised her, 21
"Got your Rowan County stuff done. You are completely free of that. Still working on 22
Clark County. They are a pain"; and 23
WHEREAS, following the evidentiary hearing, the Special Commissioner issued a 24
report, including findings of fact, that concluded the evidence established "probable cause 25
to believe that Ronnie Lee Goldy, Jr., while serving as the Commonwealth Attorney for 26
the 21st Judicial Circuit, engaged in personal communications with Misty Helton, a 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 292
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defendant in the 21st Judicial Circuit, regarding her various criminal cases. He discussed 1
Ms. Helton's criminal matters with her directly without her counsel being present and 2
clearly intervened on her behalf by having court dates moved or warrants recalled. In 3
return for this action, Mr. Goldy solicited nude pictures and videos from Ms. Helton."; 4
and 5
WHEREAS, the Special Commissioner found, "Throughout his testimony, Mr. 6
Goldy shows a complete disregard for SCR 3.130(4.2) regarding communication with a 7
person represented by counsel" and based upon his testimony the Special Commissioner 8
found, "Mr. Goldy's relationship with Ms. Helton was not in the normal course of 9
business for a Commonwealth Attorney."; and 10
WHEREAS, the Special Commissioner found Ms. Helton's testimony of the "quid 11
pro quo nature of their relationship" was supported by the Facebook Messenger 12
documents; and 13
WHEREAS, the Special Commissioner found "the evidence establishes probable 14
cause to believe that Mr. Goldy abused his power by using his official position as 15
Commonwealth Attorney to provide Ms. Helton with assistance in criminal matters for 16
her benefit while he expected and requested actions of a sexual nature from her for his 17
benefit"; and 18
WHEREAS, the Special Commissioner concluded "the Inquiry Commission has 19
established probable cause to believe that Mr. Goldy's professional misconduct poses a 20
substantial threat of harm to the public pursuant to SCR 3.165(1)(b)" and recommended 21
that Mr. Goldy be temporarily suspended from the practice of law; and 22
WHEREAS, the Supreme Court of Kentucky, by Order dated September 16, 2022, 23
adopted the report of the Special Commissioner in its entirety, including its findings of 24
fact, conclusions of law, and recommendations, and incorporated the report by reference 25
as part of its order; and 26
WHEREAS, on September 16, 2022, pursuant to SCR 3.165, Ronnie Lee Goldy, Jr. 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 292
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was temporarily suspended from the practice of law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky 1
by the Supreme Court of Kentucky with the further finding that disciplinary proceedings 2
against Mr. Goldy may be instituted by the Inquiry Commission pursuant to SCR 3.160 3
unless already begun or unless Mr. Goldy resigns under terms of disbarment; and 4
WHEREAS, the Court stated in its order it "makes no specific order regarding Mr. 5
Goldy's status to hold the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney for the 21st Judicial 6
Circuit" referencing impeachment under Section 68 of the Kentucky Constitution; and 7
WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 66 of the Kentucky Constitution and KRS 63.020, 8
the House of Representatives has the sole power of impeachment, and proceedings for 9
impeachment may be instituted in the House of Representatives; and 10
WHEREAS, given the significant and severe nature of the findings by the Special 11
Commissioner as adopted by the Kentucky Supreme Court against Ronnie Lee Goldy, Jr., 12
and the temporary suspension of Mr. Goldy from the practice of law in this 13
Commonwealth, a committee should be formed to investigate and review the record to 14
determine whether impeachment proceedings should be instituted against Ronnie Lee 15
Goldy, Jr., Commonwealth's attorney for the 21st Judicial Circuit, and whether Ronnie 16
Lee Goldy's actions as stated by the Special Commissioner and adopted by the Kentucky 17
Supreme Court warrant articles of impeachment to be submitted to the House of 18
Representatives. 19
NOW, THEREFORE, 20
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the General Assembly of the 21
Commonwealth of Kentucky: 22
ď˘Section 1. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint a 23
committee of the House of Representatives to investigate and review the record as to 24
whether impeachment proceedings shall be instituted against Ronnie Lee Goldy, Jr., 25
Commonwealth's attorney for the 21st Judicial Circuit, and whether Ronnie Lee Goldy, 26
Jr.'s actions as found by the Special Commissioner and adopted by the Kentucky 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 23 RS BR 292
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Supreme Court warrant articles of impeachment to be submitted to the House of 1
Representatives. 2