Longtime public defender will serve as Fayette County's newest district judge
Longtime public defender Shannon Brooks will serve as Lexington’s newest district court judge, defeating opponent Alex Garcia in Tuesday’s election. Brooks and Garcia were the top two vote-getters in the May Primary . Brooks will replace current Fayette District Judge Bruce Bell to serve Kentucky’s 22nd District, 2nd Division. With all votes counted in Fayette County, Brooks held a 16-point advantage over Garcia. In a statement to the Herald-Leader, Brooks said she felt honored and humbled that the voters of Fayette County have trusted her to serve. “This victory belongs to you all. I also want to thank my family, my friends, and campaign team, who carried out this effort with generosity and passion,” Brooks said. “I am grateful to Alex Garcia for a race run with respect for voters, the court, and each other.” District court is the court of “limited jurisdiction,” and a district judge oversees juvenile cases, city and county ordinances, misdemeanors, traffic offenses, will probate, arraignments, felony probable cause hearings, small claims involving $2,500 or less and civil cases involving $5,000 or less. Brooks has served as a public defender for 18 years, representing thousands of clients in the Kentucky court system. During that time, she
