Jefferson Circuit Court
(General Trial Division)

Geoffrey P. Morris
Division 11

2887 Riedling Drive Phone: 502-897-1220 Louisville, KY 40206  

 

Current Position         1992-Present Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge, Division 11

Previous  Employment                 

1985-1991  Private Practice, Criminal defense and personal injury litigation.
                 Handled divorce and bankruptcy cases, represented the former City of Newberg in dissolution process.

1984-1985   Private Practice, Weiss, Karp and George

1976-1984   Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, Senior Prosecutor, Career Criminal Bureau Chief, Division Chief

1972-1976   Deputy Public Defender, Chief Trial Attorney

1969-1971   Law Clerk and Associate, Alan N. Leibson, PSC
1965-1967   Peace Corps Volunteer, Sierra Leone
1962-1965   United States Marine Corps Reserve

Academic Degrees    University of Louisville, B.A. 1965

University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, J.D. 1970

Training

Judicial In-Service Training (Kentucky), Generally 25 CLE hours each year on the Bench, except on one occasion when conducting trial.

Judicial College, University of Reno-Nevada

Writing Technique, Summer 1996
Capital Punishment, Summer 1999
Economics and Accounting Major Litigation, 2003
Presenter                       Kentucky Judicial Training 1979, Closing Arguments
Presenter                       Kentucky Judicial Training 1998, Legal Writing
Presenter                       Kentucky Judicial Training 2002, 404B Evidence
Presenter                       Kentucky Judicial Training 2004, Trial of a Death
Penalty Case - Voir Dire

Awards, Honors, Publication(s) and Membership in Professional Organizations

Presenter             Kentucky Bar Association 2004, Evidence (statewide)

Presenter             Louisville Bar Association 2000, Finding the Courthouse

President, Kentucky Academy of Justice, 1976

President, Louisville Bar Association, 1981 (Member since 1971)

President, Louisville Bar Foundation, 1982

Chairperson,  Louisville Bar Association, Criminal Practice Committee, 1978

Member, American Judicature Society, 2003 - Present

Board Member, Jefferson County Public Law Library, 1998 - Present

Chief Regional Judge, 30th Judicial Circuit, 1999 - 2000

Editor, Kentucky Judges Association, Executive Committee, 2001

Publisher/Editor, Jefferson County Circuit Court Newsletter, 1997 - 2002

Member, Kentucky Bar Association, 1971 -Present

Committee Member, Citizens for Better Judges, Mid-1980s (Two years)

Member, Leadership Louisville, 1981 -1982

Louisville Bar Association Paul Tobin Award (Pro Bono Service), 1991

Admitted to practice in the Western District Federal Court and 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, 1977-1991

 

Work experience

Prior to my election to the Bench in 1992, I served as both a prosecutor and defense attorney and handled a variety of criminal matters ranging from shoplifting to Death Penalty cases. As a civil practitioner, I tried wrongful death, personal injury and divorce cases. I presented oral arguments before the Kentucky Court of Appeals, the Kentucky Supreme Court and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. I tried over 120 cases before a jury. As a Judge, I have conducted over 400 civil and criminal trials and have written appellate decisions for cases on appeal from the Jefferson County District Court. I have presided over two special Grand Juries and have maintained a yearly docket of approximately 900 civil and criminal cases.

 

Interests

Golf, reading, computers

St. Leonard Catholic Church, Lector