Former circuit court judge James “Jamie” Jameson could face a 90-day suspension of his driver's license after entering a guilty plea Tuesday to speeding 26 mph or more over the limit in Marshall County.
Jameson entered the plea Oct. 20 in connection with an Oct. 1 traffic stop. The four remaining charges, including reckless driving, were dismissed. On Wednesday, proof of insurance and registration was filed with the court, and Jameson paid a $75 fine and $143 in court costs.
According to the original citation, Marshall County Sheriff's Deputy Jacob Hamm reported that Jameson accelerated rapidly after stopping at a four-way intersection on Aurora Highway in Hardin. The citation lists Jameson's speed as 90 mph in a posted 35-mph zone while driving a white Chevrolet Camaro.
Jameson served as judge for the 42nd Judicial Circuit, covering Marshall and Calloway counties, from January 2015 until November 2022.
Under 601 KAR 13:025, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) classifies speeding 26 mph or more over the limit as a “serious violation,” along with racing and attempting to elude a law enforcement officer using a motor vehicle.
The regulation defines a conviction to include a guilty plea or payment of a fine or court costs, even without a court appearance.
Anyone convicted of one of the three serious violations is required to appear for an informal hearing before a driver improvement hearing officer appointed by KYTC. Based on the evidence presented, testimony given and the driver's history, the officer determines whether to suspend the individual's driving privileges.
The regulation provides for a 90-day suspension but also allows eligible drivers to receive probation in lieu of suspension. The probationary period is twice the length of the applicable suspension period, or 180 days in this case.
Jameson was also cited Aug. 28 after another Marshall County Sheriff's Office deputy reportedly clocked him driving 70 mph in a posted 45-mph school zone near South Marshall Elementary School. According to the citation, the school-zone lights were flashing.
On Sept. 28, Jameson paid a $110 fine and $143 in court costs for speeding 25 mph over the limit in a school zone in August. The fine was higher than the one imposed for the October violation because speeding fines are doubled in school zones. A second charge of failing to have his driver's license in his possession was dismissed, but the speeding violation resulted in a conviction under the regulation.
That violation carries six penalty points. Under Kentucky's point system, drivers 18 and older who accumulate 12 or more points within two years may have their driving privileges suspended or be placed on probation.
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