Kentucky Federal Court Structure at a Glance
Court Locations in Kentucky — 28 U.S.C. § 97
The district structure of Kentucky is set by statute, quoted below from 28 U.S.C. § 97:
“Kentucky is divided into two judicial districts to be known as the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky.”
Court locations under the statute:
Court for the Eastern District shall be held at Ashland, Catlettsburg, Covington, Frankfort, Jackson, Lexington, London, Pikeville, and Richmond.
Court for the Western District shall be held at Bowling Green, Louisville, Owensboro, and Paducah.
Federal White-Collar Cases in Kentucky
Federal fraud offenses committed in Kentucky are prosecuted in the district where the offense occurred. Jurisdiction is statutory: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.” (18 U.S.C. § 3231).
Circuit assignment is statutory as well. 28 U.S.C. § 41 provides:
“Sixth Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee.”
The Sixth Circuit hears appeals from the district courts in Kentucky. The district courts listed above maintain public websites with local rules, judge information, and case-location details; the federal court finder at uscourts.gov also covers Kentucky.
The principal federal fraud statutes — mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), wire fraud (§ 1343), and bank fraud (§ 1344) — apply in every federal district. Bank fraud carries a statutory maximum of 30 years: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.” (18 U.S.C. § 1344).
This page is part of the White-Collar Case Law Research Desk reference library. Additional research notes are published as new court decisions are issued.
Primary sources
- 28 U.S.C. § 97 — Kentucky (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Kentucky is divided into two judicial districts to be known as the Eastern and Western Districts of Kentucky.”
- 28 U.S.C. § 41 — Number and composition of circuits (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “Sixth Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 3231 — District courts (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “The district courts of the United States shall have original jurisdiction, exclusive of the courts of the States, of all offenses against the laws of the United States.”
- 18 U.S.C. § 1344 — Bank fraud (law.cornell.edu). Verbatim: “shall be fined not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than 30 years, or both.”
White-Collar Federal Defense Reference by State
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