Judicial Update

A few months ago, I rather playfully recounted my experiences waiting in the Fayette County jury pool (see link: https://thecitizen.com/2025/05/28/reflections-upon-jury-duty/ ).  Among my readers was the Honorable Jason B. Thompson, Fayette County State Court Judge, and I was invited to his chambers. Uh-oh!

Upon arriving, it was immediately clear that I was not in the dock. The always affable Judge Thompson complimented my prose—an honor from his Honor—and thanked me for my suggestions. He explained that pre-Covid, a court officer routinely welcomed the prospective jurors, reframing their attendance from a drudgery to an esteemed civic virtue. When jury trials were reinstated, this official greeting somehow fell through the cracks. So, my suggestions were not novel, but merely a nudge to return to their previous protocol.

Since our meeting, Judge Thompson has personally greeted every jury pool and elevated their duty to the Constitutional approbation it deserves. He has followed up with a laudatory letter to each juror, reinforcing this appreciation. I’m impressed!

Judge Thompson is very active in the community. He sponsors a free teaching forum, The People’s Law, and recruits Fayette County’s leading legal minds to present lectures on topics as diverse as wills and trusts to fraud prevention.  He regularly invites all citizens to sit in on his trials and see actual justice instead of  Judge Judy’s hijinks.

In short, the Honorable Judge Jason B. Thompson is a true credit to our community. Though I hope never to find myself at the defendant’s table, if that day comes, I pray this honest jurist, in his signature bowtie, is on the bench.