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\nOn Friday, Attorney General Russell Coleman announced the filing of an emergency motion with the Kentucky Court of Appeals to keep more than 240 convicted criminals behind bars.<\/p>\n
\nOn Friday, Attorney General Russell Coleman announced the filing of an emergency motion with the Kentucky Court of Appeals to keep more than 240 convicted criminals behind bars.<\/p>\n
In February, the Franklin County Circuit Court invalidated a portion of the Safer Kentucky Act, which broadened the definition of \u201cviolent offender\u201d to include those convicted of strangulation, reckless homicide, attempted murder, carjacking and more.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, the Circuit Court denied the Coleman\u2019s request to keep its order from going into effect while litigation continues.<\/p>\n
Unless the Kentucky Court of Appeals blocks the Circuit Court\u2019s order hundreds of convicted criminals could immediately be released by the Kentucky Parole Board.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe General Assembly passed the Safer Kentucky Act to protect families and support law enforcement,\u201d Coleman said in a release. \u201cUnless the Court of Appeals steps in, more violent criminals could soon be back in your neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n
House Bill 5, which brought changes to Kentucky\u2019s criminal justice laws, was enacted in 2024. According to the release, criminals convicted of a violent offense are prevented from release on probation, shock probation, parole, conditional discharge, or other form of early release until they serve at least 85% of their sentence.<\/p>\n
Before the legislation, criminals convicted of offenses like strangulation and reckless homicide became eligible for early release after serving only 20% of their sentences.<\/p>\n
The Safer Kentucky Act applies to violent offenders who committed their crimes before the law\u2019s effective date, as long as they hadn\u2019t been sentenced yet.<\/p>\n