LOUISVILLE, Ky., (WDRB) -- They may now have official titles, but the large batch of new Louisville judges elected Tuesday night are mostly well-known attorneys who for years have worked as defense attorneys or prosecutors and will now use those experiences to reshape the local judiciary.
But it was two experienced incumbent judges whose races captured the most attention in Jefferson County.
While Chief District Court Judge Annette Karem and Circuit Court Judge Mary Shaw both overcome various criticism and numerous unflattering headlines to ease through the May primary into November, Shaw could not survive Tuesday.
Attorney Tracy Davis beat Shaw by a couple thousand votes, 100,870 to 98,503, according to the Jefferson County Clerk's office.
Shaw, who was first elected in 2006, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shaw, the only incumbent judge challenged in Jefferson County, has been dogged for signing the flawed warrant in March 2020 for the raid of Breonna Taylor's home. Taylor was killed by police after her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a shot after police burst into the home.
Shaw signed multiple warrants for the raids, which revolved around convicted felon Jamarcus Glover.
On March 12, 2020, a day before the raid on Taylor's Springfield Drive unit, a warrant affidavit written by former Detective Joshua Jaynes said he had "verified through a US Postal Inspector that Jamarcus Glover has been receiving packages" at Taylor's home.
In May 2020, a U.S. postal inspector in Louisville said Metro police did not use his office to verify that information. Jaynes was fired in January 2021 for being untruthful.
When asked if she was going to issue a show-cause order as to why Jaynes shouldn't be held in contempt for providing false information in an affidavit, Shaw, who approved the search warrant, said in October 2020 that she was "concerned but deferring to the FBI investigation."
Jaynes was one of four former officers charged by the U.S. Department of Justice in the Breonna Taylor raid. He is accused of falsifying the warrant affidavit to make a connection between drug suspect Jamarcus Glover and Taylor's Springfield Drive apartment.
Jaynes, according to court records, may have chosen to take the warrant affidavit to Shaw because she had previously heard him say he didn't think she would closely "scrutinize his warrants."
Shaw has said she didn't know Jaynes.
Walker has said he never heard police announce themselves and believed the couple was being robbed. He fired a shot, hitting former Detective Jon Mattingly in the leg.
Police responded with 32 shots, hitting Taylor six times. The 26-year-old died at the scene.
No drugs were found in Taylor's home.
In her race, Karem was under fire for several months by attorneys and fellow judges alike for controversial changes and ideas, including refusing for a time to resume arraignments of inmates in person.
Citizens for Better Judges declined to endorse anyone in her lone contested primary race for the Kentucky Court of Appeals seat in Jefferson County, with Karem going up against state Rep. McKenzie Cantrell.
In addition, Karem, a judge for 16 years, received the lowest ratings in her race from attorneys who participated in the Louisville Bar Poll.
But Tuesday night, Karem nipped Cantrell 103,035 to 99,370.
In another circuit court race, Julie Kaelin, a current District Court judge and former public defender easily held off Ebert Haegele, a prosecutor who currently leads the Narcotics Division of the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office in Louisville. Kaelin won by about 40,000 votes.
Defense attorney and former public defender Sarah Clay won the Circuit Court Div. 9 seat vacated by Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman, beating challenger, Nichole Compton, 110,836 to 79,078.
In another circuit court race, Melissa Logan beat veteran criminal defense attorney Ted Shouse.
Patricia "Tish" Morris garnered the most votes for the circuit court 10th division seat, beating Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Dorislee Gilbert by about 13,000 votes.
Morris, who has been an attorney for 20 years, is the daughter of beloved former Louisville Judge Geoffrey Morris, who died in 2020.
In District Court races, incumbent Kristina Garvey won over Kelly Ann Bowles.
Incumbent Lisa Langford beat long-time defense attorney Justin Brown.
Incumbent Tanisha Ann Hickerson won out over Kaitlin Smith Dean.
Yvette De La Gaurdia took the District Court 4th division seat, with a 7,000 vote win over Lora Chisholm Holman
Megan McDonald won the most votes for the District Court Division 7 seat with a victory over Shannon Fauver. McDonald is the daughter of retired judges Tom and Dee McDonald.
Former public defender Karen Faulkner beat Jessica Stone for the District Court 8th division seat.
Mary Wolford beat Claudette Patton by about 27,000 votes.
Anthony Jones, a former public defender and current assistant county attorney held off attorney Emily Monarch, beating her by about 5,000 votes.
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