The head of Kentucky's Supreme Court won't seek reelection next year, as you've heard.

But Chief Justice Lawrence Van Meter described challenges Kentucky's courts will be facing for years to come.

In his State of the Judiciary address that he gave last Friday.

During my investiture in January, I pledged to the legislative branch to safeguard the judiciary's independence but exercise, sound and nonpartisan judgment when called upon.

Although some level of tension between the branches of government is inherent, I believe I've remained faithful to that pledge.

Looking to the future, Van Meter cautions lawmakers about the use of artificial intelligence in law.

The Kentucky Bar Association formed an air task force.

The purpose of the task force is to address the ethical and professional risks that come with using a along with recommendations regarding how these fast evolving technologies can or should be used by attorneys.

A handful of state courts have established orders regarding the use of are placing the burden on the attorney to notify the court if they use this technology in drafting of court filings and to confirm the accuracy of the information generated by it.

He would like lawmakers to expand diversion courts that send people with substance use disorder or mental illness to treatment, not jail or prison.

The continued criminalization of these disorders and health issues have devastating effects on families, individuals and society.

Lawmakers expressed their optimism and concern for the approach.

When I think about children in foster care, sleeping in offices, and I know that the reason that they're there is because we haven't taken care of mom's mental health issue.

That breaks my heart because we are just perpetuating that cycle so we can do better.

And this commission is the way that we do better.

In my time in the legislature, we've developed a lot of what I call boutique courts.

And I think that it's been done with good intentions.

And but I'm just wondering if you have a view and if if you have any thoughts on the possibility is that we may be going too far in that area and diluting what the primary function of the Court of Justice is, and that is to decide just that, to administer justice.

We all cried at the Old Yeller, but we couldn't let him go around and keep biting people.

I mean, you have to you have to occasionally, you know, approach these things to protect greater society rather than, you know, people that are out of control.

Court officials say only people charged with nonviolent crimes are eligible for diversion.

The behavioral health conditional dismissal pilot program rolled out this year slowly in seven counties.

13 people have successfully completed the program for Kentucky edition.

I'm June Leffler.

Thank you.

June McCracken County is set to begin its diversion program in December.