Frankfort Prepares Portrait Dedication for Retired Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr.
A retirement that closed a seventeen-year chapter on Kentucky’s highest bench will receive a lasting visual tribute when state officials gather in the capital. The Supreme Court of Kentucky will dedicate an official portrait of retired Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. during a 1 p.m. unveiling ceremony at the Administrative Office of the Courts in Frankfort.
The event marks a formal state recognition for a jurist who helped shape modern Kentucky jurisprudence. Minton, a Bowling Green native, spent 17 total years on the state’s Supreme Court, holding the position of chief justice for 14 of those years before stepping down from the bench in 2023, according to wbko.com.
A Career Spanning Decades of Court Reform
Appointed in 2006 to represent the 2nd Supreme Court District in Western Kentucky, Minton subsequently won election to an eight-year term. Records note that he stands as the second-longest serving chief justice since Kentucky established its modern court system in 1975.
Supreme Court of Kentucky to honor retired Chief Justice, Bowling Green native John D. Minton https://t.co/s8dl2GzwCa
Before his elevation to the state’s highest court, Minton built his educational foundation close to home. He earned degrees from Western Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky College of Law.
Watch the Portrait Dedication Online on November 6
The portrait dedication is scheduled to take place on November 6, 2026, drawing legal professionals, state leaders, and community members to the Administrative Office of the Courts. For those unable to attend the gathering in person, the Supreme Court of Kentucky has arranged a live broadcast. The proceedings will be streamed online via kcoj.info/KCOJYouTube, allowing observers across the Commonwealth to view the tribute.
