Former KY Governor Matt Bevin Arrested on Family Court Warrant, Sentenced to 60 Days in Jail

Former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin was arrested on Sept. 3rd on a family court warrant.

Edmonson Voice Staff:
Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin was arrested Thursday afternoon in Paris and booked that night into the Louisville Metro Detention Center. Jail records listed him Friday morning as held for contempt of court.

In a hearing today, the judge denied bond and ordered Bevin to serve 60 days in jail, according to courtroom reports. The judge reportedly said she would consider relief after 30 days.

The case is a civil family-court matter, not a new criminal charge. According to court orders from Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson, the warrant followed Bevin’s failure to produce financial records in a divorce and child-support dispute involving his adopted son.

Paris-Bourbon County dispatch received a call about 5:30 p.m. Thursday reporting that Bevin was at Houstondale Farm on Fords Mill Road, where a Christmas movie was being filmed, according to a statement later released by Bourbon County Sheriff Tony Asbury. The sheriff’s office said deputies confirmed an active warrant, contacted Bevin at the farm, and took him into custody without incident. Asbury said Bevin was cooperative.

The sheriff’s statement said Bevin was first lodged at the Bourbon-Nicholas County Regional Detention Center, then transferred to Louisville. No bail amount was listed in that statement. Jail records show he was booked Thursday evening at Louisville Metro Corrections.

Court documents show Judge Johnson ordered both parents to turn over income records — including bank statements and tax returns — so the court could consider Jonah Bevin’s request for retroactive child support. According to those filings, Glenna Bevin, who petitioned for divorce in 2023, submitted her records. The same orders state that Matt Bevin missed deadlines, provided incomplete materials, and often did not appear in person when the court required it. The judge found him in contempt more than once.
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A June 5th court order issued a bench warrant after another missed deadline. That order called for 60 days in the Louisville Metro jail and a $500 fine. In a later ruling, Johnson declined to lift the warrant until the records were produced, according to court documents. An earlier March warrant was recalled while a recusal request was pending, court records show. In May, according to the court’s sentencing order, Bevin paid a $250 fine rather than serve 14 days.