LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky Senate Impeachment Committee unanimously voted Wednesday to pause impeachment proceedings against Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Muth Goodman, according to the Kentucky Lantern, pending a review by the Judicial Conduct Commission.

The committee's action, led by chair Sen. Brandon Storm, R-London, came via Senate Resolution 297, which suspends the inquiry while emphasizing the Senate reserves the right to resume proceedings if necessary. Storm said the move "cannot be construed as an acquittal or as the Senate relinquishing any rights or duties under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky."

The decision represents a significant shift in the contentious case that has pitted Kentucky's legislative and judicial branches against one another. In early April, the Kentucky Supreme Court halted the impeachment, ruling that the legislative push violated separation of powers. Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert's majority opinion stated that the Judicial Conduct Commission — established by the state constitution in 1976 — is the proper venue for complaints against judges that do not constitute impeachable offenses.

The impeachment case has its roots in a petition filed by former Republican state Rep. Killian Timoney, who lost his House seat in a 2024 primary and is seeking to regain it. Timoney accused Goodman of abusing her office in six cases. The House voted 73-14 in March to forward impeachment articles after House Impeachment Committee chair Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, filed the charges.

Storm said the Supreme Court's ruling revealed for the first time that the Judicial Conduct Commission was already investigating Goodman. "It is unfortunate that the existence of that was not known to the House when the inquiry early in the process was requested," he said.

The Judicial Conduct Commission has the power to discipline judges, with sanctions ranging from private reprimands to removal from office. The JCC's decisions can be appealed to the Kentucky Supreme Court. Storm's resolution called on the commission to hold public hearings regarding Goodman.

Senate Democratic Whip Cassie Chambers Armstrong of Louisville expressed concern about proceeding further. "The Supreme Court clearly ruled that further action would be unconstitutional, and my preference would be that this body clearly state its intent to comply with that order," she said.

Senate President Robert Stivers said in a statement that the Senate remained "committed to upholding the integrity of the Constitution of Kentucky and preserving the balance among our three independent, co-equal branches of government."

Storm said he would not "pre-judge" whether the Senate would pursue impeachment in the future if the commission cleared Goodman of wrongdoing. "We're going to ask the JCC to do their job, and then we'll consider what they've done," he said.