Ann Ruttle
KY · Chief District Judge, 16th Judicial District, Division 1
Ann Ruttle is the incumbent Chief District Judge for the 16th Judicial District, Division 1. The Kentucky Court of Justice lists her in that office, and the county election schedule marks the division for the 2026 cycle.
Campaign finance information not available
Track record
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 2 records
Was suspended without pay for two weeks, May 5 to May 18, 2023, under an agreed order with Kentucky's Judicial Conduct Commission. The commission found she denied a court-appointed lawyer to a criminal defendant at her first court appearance without first checking whether the defendant was too poor to hire one, as state law requires. It added that a review of felony arraignments showed this was not an isolated incident. She agreed to follow that law in future cases.
March 1, 2023
Source: kycourts.gov · researched August 19, 2026
Kentucky's Judicial Conduct Commission charged her with misconduct in 2022 as a Kenton County district judge. It found she denied a free lawyer to a defendant who could not afford one, skipping the review state law requires. It called this a pattern. She agreed to a two-week unpaid suspension in 2023.
November 10, 2022
Source: kycourts.gov · researched August 19, 2026
Race Ann Ruttle is in:
- Kenton County District Court Judge - 1st Division · November 3, 2026 · Kenton County, Kentucky · incumbent
Profile last researched August 15, 2026.