KY Supreme Court Candidate Shawn Marie Alcott Stops in County On Campaign Trail

Shawn Marie Alcott, candidate for KY Supreme Court District 2, speaks to a small crowd in Edmonson County today.

Darren Doyle, story and photos:
Shawn Marie Alcott, a candidate for the Kentucky Supreme Court, made a stop in Edmonson County on Thursday, October 13th to speak with citizens about her campaign.

She made the stop at Honeybee Baked Goods during lunch today, sharing her thoughts and taking questions from those inside the cafe.

She also discussed her background and ideas with the Edmonson Voice at today's stop.

She said her first job out of law school was with the court of appeals as a staff attorney for Judge Joseph R. Huddleston, which cemented her desire to come back to the appellate court.

Alcott said without a strong independent judiciary, our system of government as it's designed can't properly function.

"We have to have a strong court to enforce the separation of powers we have in our three branches of government," she said. "Our legislative branch looks at the executive and they're envious of that power and vice versa, and it's up to the courts to keep everything in line and in check. If our government isn't functioning well, that affects everyone at the local level. A lot of people think what happens in Frankfort doesn't affect them, but it does."

KY Supreme Court Candidate Shawn Marie Alcott makes a campaign stop at Honeybee Baked Goods.

She said she believes that she is the most qualified candidate on the ballot as a result of her 29 years experience in all aspects of the law. Alcott obtained her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and later attended the University of Kentucky College of Law. She was a member of the UK Women’s Law Caucus and a Business Manager of the Kentucky Law Journal.

From there, she landed first at the Court of Appeals, then as Assistant Warren County Attorney, and then into private practice where she is a shareholder at the Kerrick Bachert Law Firm.

She said that many see attorneys as people who sit in nice offices that don't work very hard, but added that her upbringing and outlook is very different.

"I grew up in Muhlenberg County in a small business and I've worked since I was 12 years old," she said. "My first job was cleaning the bathrooms and mopping the floor for my dad. I worked in that small business all the way through college, so I know what it is to work. That prepared me well for the practice of law, because unless you're committed to working hard and working a lot, you're not going to be successful."

The race for Kentucky Supreme Court is non-partisan. She made note that anyone voting straight ticket will not have a vote cast in this race. She encouraged everyone to vote specifically for all non-partisan races as well as amendments and other races.

She and her husband, son, and two daughters reside in Bowling Green. Supreme Court District 2 covers a total of 17 counties: Allen, Barren, Breckinridge, Bullitt, Butler, Edmonson, Grayson, Hancock, Hardin, Hart, Larue, Meade, Monroe, Ohio, Simpson, Spencer, and Warren.