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Kentucky judge accused of having sex, drinking alcohol in courthouse suspended

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky family court judge was temporarily suspended Monday after she was accused of having sex with her staff in a courthouse and allowing alcohol and loud guitar music.

Dawn M. Gentry, a family court judge in Kentucky’s northern 16th Judicial District in Kenton County, was charged with nine counts of misconduct Nov. 18, 2019, by the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission.

The suspension is pending a final decision in the case, NBC News reported. Gentry was suspended with pay, WKRC reported.

Gentry’s first hearing to address the accusations against her came Friday before the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission, CNN reported.

According to the November 2019 filing, Gentry is accused of abusing her power to solicit sex and campaign donations from staff members and attorneys, and retaliated against them if they refused, The Washington Post reported.

According to the affidavit filed by the state judicial commission. after the November 2018 election Gentry allegedly hired a case specialist, Stephen Penrose, with whom she was having a sexual affair, forcing another staff member to resign to make room for him on the staff.

Gentry is also accused of having sex with the case specialist and another woman at the courthouse, according to the affidavit. Gentry also allegedly asked an abused children’s attorney to join her in a threesome and retaliated against her when she refused, the affidavit said.

Gentry also was accused of bringing her children to work and allowing them to witness confidential court proceedings, NBC News reported. According to the conduct committee, her child recognized one of the children involved in a confidential case, NBC News reported.

Gentry’s lawyer, Stephen Ryan, told CNN the judge was disappointed with the suspension.

“We put up a case that she’s a very good judge,” Ryan told the cable news network. “They just thought she was getting too much bad publicity.”

Gentry was appointed to Kenton County Family Court in 2016 by Gov. Matt Bevins and was officially elected to the post in 2018, WKRC reported.