Judge Steven Combs of Pikeville, KY; ethical gremlin

The state of Kentucky presented Steven Daniel Combs with a law license in after he graduated from the University of Kentucky Law School.

In 2003, former Gov. Paul Patton was duped into appointing Steven as a Circuit Court judge in Pikeville. Steven didn’t receive the appointment because he was the most qualified attorney in the Pikeville area. He received it because he had proven to be a reliable lackey for the local political hacks.

The Judicial Conduct Commission charged Judge Combs with the following misconduct.

• Presided over case when obvious conflict of interest existed
• Engaged in improper ex parte (one-sided) communications with defendant
• Failed to respect and comply with the law
• Failed to dispose of matters fairly and promptly
• Failed to disqualify himself when disqualification was mandatory
• Made numerous inappropriate phone calls to Pikeville Police Department
• Demanded that Pikeville police charge folks with criminal trespass for parking in his church’s parking lot
• Told Captain Edmonds that the next police officer that pulled you over would get “a bullet in the head”
• Made numerous harassing phone calls to Pikeville Mayor and other city officials
• Referred to Pikeville Commissioner Jerry Coleman as “cokehead”
• Referred to Pikeville Mayor Jimmy Carter as “fish face”
• Referred to Pikeville City Manager Donovan Blackburn as “Dumbo”
• Referred to attorney Ray Jones as a “prick” and “coward”
• Improperly solicited contributions from attorneys appearing in his court

All that remains now is to see what punishment is meted out to Judge Combs for the egregious misconduct he so cheerfully engaged in.

As we speak (ca. May 2015), Combs remains sitting as a Circuit Court judge in Pikeville, Kentucky.