Editing Kentucky (section)

===Judicial branch===

The judicial branch of Kentucky is called the Kentucky Court of Justice<ref>{{cite web|url=http://courts.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx|title=Kentucky Court of Justice – Home|access-date=January 21, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014242/https://courts.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> and comprises courts of [[limited jurisdiction]] called District Courts; courts of general jurisdiction called [[Kentucky Circuit Courts|Circuit Courts]]; specialty courts such as Drug Court<ref>{{cite web|url=http://courts.ky.gov/courtprograms/drugcourt/Pages/default.aspx|title=Adult Drug Court – Kentucky Drug Court: Saving Costs, Saving Lives|access-date=January 21, 2017|archive-date=January 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170119181832/http://courts.ky.gov/courtprograms/drugcourt/Pages/default.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> and Family Court;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://courts.ky.gov/courts/familycourt/Pages/default.aspx|title=Family Court|access-date=January 21, 2017|archive-date=January 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170121174533/http://courts.ky.gov/courts/familycourt/Pages/default.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> an intermediate appellate court, the [[Kentucky Court of Appeals]]; and a court of last resort, the [[Kentucky Supreme Court]].

The Kentucky Court of Justice is headed by the [[Chief Justice]] of the Commonwealth. The chief justice is appointed by, and is an elected member of, the Supreme Court of Kentucky. The current chief justice is [[Laurance B. VanMeter|Laurance VanMeter]].

Unlike federal judges, who are usually appointed, justices serving on Kentucky state courts are chosen by the state's populace in non-partisan elections.