Commonwealth Policy Center

If you’re on Facebook, you’re aware of the thumbs up icon which means “like.” But a Frankfort judge found out the hard way that “liking” a Facebook post can get you into trouble. Judge Phillip Shepherd “liked” a Facebook post that supported Andy Beshear’s campaign for governor. As a result, Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice John D. Minton, Jr., disqualified Shepherd from presiding over a case involving “teacher sickouts.” Minton believed the “like” showed a bias toward Andy Beshear who is facing Matt Bevin for the governorship. It’s important for judges to remain unbiased so they can rule fairly. Now, not all of us are involved with legal cases but a takeaway is to be discerning what we “like” on Facebook.