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Having been raised in Winchester, Laurance VanMeter is a welcome presence in Clark County. 

On Wednesday, Dec. 4, VanMeter – the outgoing Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice – was recognized with one of many lifetime honors. 

During a meeting at the Winchester Country Club, The Rotary Club of Winchester presented VanMeter with its Citizen of the Year Award in front of an audience that included State Senator Greg Elkins, Mayor JoEllen Reed, County Attorney William Elkins, and many more. 

VanMeter, who assumed office as the Chief Justice of the Kentucky Supreme Court on January 2, 2023, following the tenure of John D. Minton Jr., announced his decision not to seek re-election in September. 

“The more I thought about it…I thought about at age 66 it’s not a question of how many years you [have] left, it’s [a] question of how many good years you have left,” said VanMeter, a grandfather of four. “Do I want to continue my life doing what I’m doing…or are there other things I’d rather do?” 

With a career spanning over 40 years, VanMeter was elected a Kentucky Supreme Court Justice in 2016. 

At the time of his election, VanMeter – who previously served in the 5th Supreme Court District that comprises Bourbon, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Jessamine, Madison, Scott, and Woodford counties – became only the third Supreme Court justice to have served at all four levels of the Kentucky unified court system. 

Yet despite such prestige, VanMeter remained modest. 

“The fact that I’m the Chief Justice does not mean that I get to do whatever I want to do,” he said. “I’m accountable to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I’m accountable to the legislature because the legislature enacts statutes. There are administrative regulations that impact the Court of Justice that they review.” 

He further explained. 

“I don’t argue with attorneys. I tell them what I think, and they can either appeal it or accept it and then advise their client,” VanMeter said, acknowledging that he often works with several individuals. 

Among other accomplishments relative to Winchester, VanMeter – feeling at one point that the county was being neglected – advocated for a new courthouse. 

Since then, although the sight will be seen later, VanMeter assures citizens that such a building is set to develop. 

“It’s going to be five [to] six years. It’s a process to assemble the committee [and more],” he said. “It’s about a two-year process to build it.” 

VanMeter also opined that he’s a fan of having a new courthouse, staying where Winchester residents have long known it to be. 

“I think it needs to go downtown,” he stated. “I feel pretty strong…the Courthouse is a downtown function.” 

He asked what he would miss the most in retirement, and VanMeter responded. 

“I’m going to miss the people I work with,” he said. “They’re good people. That doesn’t mean we agree on everything, but they’re good people.”