Special to the Sun
The Kentucky Specialty Courts announced today that the Woodford County Circuit Drug Court has achieved certification for its use of best practices that create optimal conditions for participant success. The Circuit Drug Court also includes Bourbon and Scott counties.
“Since I took over as presiding judge for Circuit Drug Court in 2022, we have worked diligently to expand the program to ensure that every eligible, non-violent criminal defendant with a substance use disorder can participate in Drug Court,” said Woodford County Circuit Judge Kathryn H. Gabhart, who volunteers to serve as the Drug Court judge. “Improving outcomes for Drug Court participants not only helps the individual but has an immeasurable, wide-ranging impact on our communities – reducing recidivism; reuniting families; ensuring payment of child support arrears, restitution and fines; and ensuring recovery from the opioid and illicit drug epidemics that have harmed our communities.”
Both before and during the three-year certification process, Woodford County District Judge Sarah Hays Spedding has also served as a Drug Court Judge for Woodford, Scott and Bourbon counties.
Woodford Circuit Court, which handles felony criminal offenses, was evaluated in 2025 and certified this year with the standards set out by the Kentucky Supreme Court, which oversees all courts in Kentucky. The certification is for three years. A Certification Advisory Committee to the Supreme Court oversees the certification process and is headed by Chief Justice Debra Lambert with 11 other members.