Former Kentucky governor Matt Bevin has appealed to the Kentucky Court of Appeals to vacate a civil-contempt warrant and secure his immediate release, arguing a 60-day sentence was imposed without an opportunity to "purge" the contempt. The warrant originated in May after Bevin missed a sentencing hearing tied to missed financial disclosures in his divorce and remained active until his Sept. 3 arrest on a film set. Bevin’s attorneys argue the sanction is improperly punitive or should be reclassified as criminal contempt to allow procedural protections; the intervening party opposes that change.
Matt Bevin Appeals Civil-Contempt Arrest, Seeks Immediate Release From Kentucky Jail
Matt Bevin appeals arrest, asks for immediate release
Former Kentucky governor Matt Bevin, who is currently detained in Louisville, has asked the Kentucky Court of Appeals to vacate the civil contempt warrant that led to his arrest and to order his immediate release.
Background
The contempt warrant was first issued May 29 after Bevin failed to appear in person at a sentencing hearing tied to a March contempt finding. That earlier contempt ruling stemmed from missed deadlines to provide financial documents related to his adopted son’s intervention in Bevin’s pending divorce. Bevin told the court he missed the May hearing because a boulder damaged a property he owns in Maine.
At the May hearing Bevin paid a $250 fine and was granted an extra week by Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson to turn over the outstanding documents. When full compliance was not achieved, a second warrant was issued on June 5 after Bevin failed to provide all requested filings and sought an extension. The warrant remained active for months.
Arrest And Sentence
Bevin was arrested Sept. 3 on the set of a Christmas film production in Central Kentucky. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail the following day after the family court determined he remained in contempt for failing to satisfy the court’s document requests.
Legal Arguments In Appeal
In a Sept. 9 petition to the Court of Appeals, Bevin’s attorney Jesse Mudd argues the 60-day civil-contempt sentence was entered without giving Bevin an opportunity to "purge" the contempt — a required element of civil contempt relief that allows the contemnor to secure release by complying with the court’s order. Mudd contends that imposing a fixed jail term without a purge condition converts a remedial civil sanction into an impermissible punishment for past conduct.
"Pursuant to well-established Kentucky law, having been found of civil contempt, Matt should hold the proverbial keys to the jail in his pocket," Mudd wrote. "However, in the present case, there are no such keys."
Another of Bevin’s attorneys, Scott Cox, made a related argument at a Sept. 4 hearing: because the family-court trial concluded in July and a ruling is pending, the requested documents are no longer central to the proceedings and the contempt should be treated as criminal rather than civil. Cox said criminal contempt would be appropriate where the aim is punishment and could permit Bevin to serve any sentence on house arrest while receiving the procedural protections afforded in criminal proceedings, including counsel and additional due-process safeguards.
Attorneys for Jonah Bevin, the adopted son who intervened in the divorce with allegations of abuse, opposed reclassifying the matter as criminal contempt. They argued such a recharacterization would provide Bevin a benefit not available to other defendants.
What Happens Next
The Kentucky Court of Appeals will now consider whether the civil-contempt sentence must be vacated or modified to include a purge option, or whether the matter can be recharacterized as criminal contempt. The outcome will determine whether Bevin can seek immediate release or pursue other procedural protections.
Contact: Reach Lucas Aulbach at [email protected].
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