Eastern Kentucky native Debra Hembree Lambert was sworn in as the head of Kentucky’s court system Tuesday.
She’ll be Kentucky’s seventh chief justice, and the first woman to hold the office. The chief justice is responsible for operating Kentucky’s judicial branch.
She’s also leading the Commonwealth’s first female-majority Supreme Court.
Lambert previously served as a justice for the Supreme Court after being elected in November 2018. She served at the 3rd Supreme Court district, which covers 25 eastern Kentucky counties.
She was also the first chair of the state’s Judicial Commission on Mental Health, which focuses on improving how the courts handle cases involving mental health, substance use and intellectual disabilities.
Lambert will serve a four-year term.
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