Former Kentucky Chief Justice Laurance Van Meter, left, administers the oath of office to Justice Pamela Goodwine. Goodwine is accompanied by her husband, Lee A. Padgett Jr., and their great-grandson, Beckham Mourning.
FRANKFORT — Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goodwine, the state’s first Black woman elected to the high court, was sworn in Friday to cheers and clapping in the packed Frankfort chambers and two overflow rooms.
Goodwine spoke Friday about her life of overcoming obstacles and promised to carry “the importance of faith, education, and perseverance” with her into the future.
“I always say I don’t give up on my dreams when life gets hard, I simply work harder to make my dreams come true,” she told me. “If there is one philosophy and action I want to be known for, and that you all recognize and follow, that is it. No matter what life throws at you, keep dreaming and working toward your goals.
Goodwine was placed in foster care as an infant and later adopted by her foster parents, the Lantern previously reported.
The Youngstown, Ohio, native and high school valedictorian gave up a college scholarship to help her adoptive father, who was dying of lung cancer. Her father died about six months after being diagnosed. Following his death, his brother murdered her mother.
At the age of 24, she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, an incurable bowel inflammation condition that can be painful and disruptive to daily life. Following the diagnosis, she was hospitalized for two months and had to relearn how to eat and walk.
She started working in the courts as a legal secretary and stenographer. She received her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Kentucky and began private practice with Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs in 1994 before being appointed to the district court bench in 1999.
Goodwine was elected circuit judge in 2003. Following her election in 2018, she became the first Black woman to serve on the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
“I’ve often been called a trailblazer,” Goodwine said. “More important than achieving any individual accomplishment, I have always believed that it is each of our responsibility to live and serve in ways that make the world a better place for generations that follow us.”
Praise for Goodwine
During her investiture, Goodwine’s fellow justices praised her tenacity and long record of firsts. They also applauded her for making history once more by officially donning her Supreme Court robes and inspiring greater trust in the court.
According to Justice Angela McCormick Bisig, race and gender are rarely discussed by justices when discussing cases on their dockets.
Nevertheless, she maintained, “for this court to do that very important work, it is best to have all lived experiences and points of view at the table, because we can all strive to be compassionate and understanding, but we really can’t know what it’s like to be someone else.”
Gov. Andy Beshear said Goodwine’s victory is “cause for celebration,” but it also “reminds us of our reality, that nearly 250 years into the history of this great country, we are still recognizing firsts.”
“Because of Justice Goodwine’s tenacity, pushing through personal tragedy, struggle and, yes, discrimination that still exists in our world, we are closer to the promise of our country that every child no matter their circumstances can dream of being a Kentucky Supreme Court justice,” Beshear told the crowd. “I’d like to thank her for making us a little bit better here in the commonwealth today.”
Chief Justice Debra Lambert described Goodwine’s presence as a “gift to our court” and “a reminder that the court should be principled, deliberate, and deeply human.”
While judicial elections are nonpartisan, Goodwine and her opponent received partisan support. To help Goodwine win, Democrat Beshear’s political committees contributed $510,000. Former Democratic Governors Steve Beshear and Paul Patton, as well as some Democratic legislators, were among her donors.
Goodwine won her race for the 5th District seat in November, making her the first woman and fifth person in history to serve at all levels of the judiciary. For the first time in history, the Kentucky Supreme Court is majority-female. Goodwine’s investiture was originally scheduled for January, but was postponed due to inclement weather.
During the ceremony, Fayette County District Judge Melissa Moore Murphy led the audience in singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Black National Anthem.
