The Kentucky State Senate will move forward with an impeachment trial for a judge, Julie Goodman of the Fayette Circuit Court.

Even after a state Supreme Court ruling released Monday halted the proceedings.

Senate President Robert Stivers says the Senate impeachment committee will begin its work April the 16th, a week from tomorrow.

The Kentucky House voted for Judge Goodman's impeachment on March 20th.

She is accused of abusing the powers of her office, defying legal precedents and state statutes and other charges.

State Representative Jason Amos of Middletown, spoke out against her on the House floor.

Judge Goodman sees herself as a law unto herself.

If she does not like a statute enacted by the General Assembly, she disregards it.

If she disagrees with the binding precedent of the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court, she announced that she will not follow it.

If she believes the prosecutor is acting improperly, she conducts her own investigation and renders her own verdict without notice, without A40, and without regard for the constitutional role of the Grand jury or the Pettit jury.

Judge Goodman ought not be a judge in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Judge Goodman's defenders, though, say she's never been accused of a crime and that removing a judge based on a judge's ruling set a dangerous precedent.

Her lawyer says she's tough on prosecutors to make sure they do their jobs correctly.

The fact that you lose now and then is just part of the deal, and the fact that a judge is tough on you is just the way it is, because judges are holding the government to the highest possible standards.

A judge that isn't doing that isn't doing their job.

On Monday, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued a 5 to 1 ruling saying that the impeachment effort violated Goodman's due process rights.

The alleged offenses were not impeachable and that the General Assembly was not the proper venue.

The Senate President, Robert Stivers, put out this statement this afternoon and it says, quote, the Senate is aware of the opinion issued by the Kentucky Supreme Court and is carefully reviewing its implications.

There have been long standing concerns within the legal community about the conduct at issue, and I am encouraged that the judicial branch, per the opinion, is now taking a more active role in examining those concerns.

That level of accountability is essential to maintaining public confidence in our courts.

The Senate's focus remains on carrying out its duties, as outlined in the Constitution of Kentucky, that each branch of government operates with integrity, and that concerns about judicial conduct can be raised and addressed without fear of retaliation, end quote.

Senator Stivers says House prosecutors will lay out their case against Goodman on April the 16th and 17th and 20th.

Judge Goodman will have three days to respond April 21st through the 23rd.

The impeachment committee will then present its findings to the full Senate on April the 24th.

And you can see that coverage of the impeachment proceedings right here on Wkyt, both on air on our Kentucky Channel and online@wkyt.org.