My Story

I spent much of my childhood living with my grandparents, who became my anchors and my guides. They were working-class people - my grandfather a maintenance man, my grandmother a factory worker - and they taught me the value of hard work, responsibility, and integrity.

 

I grew up surrounded by people who loved me, who knew how to work with their hands and their backs, and who knew the importance of looking out for one another. Those lessons - the combination of love, resilience, and diligence - have guided me every step of my life.

 

I moved to Berea in 1993, attending Berea College, and Madison County has been my home for the last 33 years. Before I ever set foot in a courtroom, I spent nearly fifteen years working in the trades - first as a carpenter and mason, then as a licensed plumber, serving Madison and Clark Counties. I dug trenches, ran heavy machinery, and solved problems the hard way, using skill, sweat, and determination to get the job
done.

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In 2015, I decided to take those same values - persistence, responsibility, and fairness - into a new line of work. I attended the University of Kentucky College of Law, earning both my law degree and a Master’s in Public Administration.

After law school, I served as a defense attorney in Madison and Clark Counties for six years, standing beside people at some of the hardest moments of their lives. I learned firsthand how our justice system can change lives - and how important it is for a judge to listen, to be fair, and to remember that every person who comes before the court is a human being.

Today, I work as a staff attorney for one of the local circuit judges, handling the full spectrum of responsibilities that keep a judge’s office running smoothly. I research complex civil and criminal cases, coordinate with court staff, and work to ensure that our judicial division operates efficiently and fairly. This experience has given me a deep understanding of how a judge’s chambers is managed and has prepared me to step into the judge’s role with confidence, competence, and a focus on delivering justice both
effectively and efficiently.

My wife, Zuojay, and I live in Berea, with our two youngest children, Theodore and Margot, and our sweet, lovable - if somewhat lazy - puppy, Edgar Allan Pebbles. My elder children, Percy and Sylvia, now live in Louisville and Lexington, respectively. I continue to enjoy hands-on projects like building, painting, and customizing guitars, and I also make time to help Margot with her home school studies each morning before heading to the office.

 

My life has been shaped by hard work and second chances. I know what it means to face challenges, to rebuild, and to keep going. That’s the perspective I’ll bring to the District Court - a fair hand and a steady temperament; I will be a judge who never forgets where he came from.