Sam Monarch accepts position of senior status judge

Photo by Sandra Stone
During the swearing in of Meade County officials Dec. 29, 2006, Judge Sam Monarch, pictured at right, administered the oath of office to Judge Robert Miller.

Submitted Article

Sam H. Monarch has accepted the position as a senior status judge for Kentucky effective Jan. 1, 2007. Monarch who served as commonwealth’s attorney (1987-1991) and as circuit judge (1992-2006) retired Dec. 31, 2006, after 19 years of public service to the citizens of Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties.

The Senior Status Program for Special Judges was enacted when the General Assembly passed House Bill 439 in 2000. This legislation created a pool of experienced judges to fill judicial vacancies in a timely manner due to prolonged illness, death, retirement, or otherwise vacated offices of a sitting judge. Senior judges also serve as mentors for new judges and are asked to help out in extraordinary circumstances which have led to unusually heavy court dockets. Judge Monarch began his service as senior judge in the 46th Judicial District as he will be working with Judge-Elect Bruce T. Butler who assumed the duties of circuit judge in Division 1 for Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties on Jan. 1, 2007. Judge Monarch will be assigned to cases in which Judge-Elect Butler has a conflict and in cases that have a long history. “Some cases have files that contain literally thousands of pages. For Judge Butler to have to plow through all those documents to become familiar with a case in which I have made countless decisions would be extremely time consuming and result in unnecessary delays. It is in the best interest of the litigants that the case be reassigned to me,” Monarch said.

Cost efficiency is another benefit reaped from using senior status judges. Senior judges work out of their homes and use the office and staff of the sitting judge for whom they are covering. Kentucky senior judges are compensated solely through enhanced retirement benefits rather than from the general fund appropriations. Though Judge Monarch will initially be assigned to Division 1 of the 46th Judicial District, he is basically “on call” throughout the state of Kentucky to serve on any court as needed. Monarch could be asked to serve any district court or circuit court as well as special appointments to cases before the Kentucky Court of Appeals or the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Reflecting on his career, Monarch stated, “It has been an honor to serve the people of Breckinridge, Grayson and Meade counties. I am mindful of the tremendous respect I have for the court system, and the appreciation for the highly qualified, professional people with whom I have had the pleasure to work. The senior status judge position will permit me to maintain those relationships and will allow me to have a reduced work load. This will give Alice and me more time for family, farming and traveling.”

Judge Monarch is the son of the late Jewell Glasscock Monarch (former Breckinridge County treasurer) and the late Sam H. Monarch Sr. (a local practicing attorney for over 50 years). He is married to Alice Burke Monarch, a retired teacher of the Breckinridge County School System. Their son, Ed, and his wife, Katie, are both attorneys in Louisville, and they have two sons, Tom, 10, and Clay, 8.