Fayette Family Court Judge Named Kentucky's CASA Judge of the Year

Fayette County Family Court Judge Lucinda Masterton

Fayette County Family Court Judge Lucinda Masterton has been named Judge of the Year by the Kentucky CASA Network.

WATCH: Judge Masterton’s acceptance video is available on YouTube.

Masterton was honored during the KCN’s Awards of Excellence on Oct. 1. She has been a family court judge handling dependency, neglect and abuse cases since 2006, and is planning to retire at the end of her current term.

“I am most privileged and most honored and touched — there aren’t really words to describe how taken I am with the honor that CASA has given me this year,” Masterton said. “I am thrilled that CASA believes that I deserve this honor, but the honor really goes to CASA. It is such a remarkable program. It’s service to the children in this community is beyond measure.”

CASA of Lexington Volunteer Manager Kyrsten Adkins, who serves in Judge Masterton’s court, nominated her for the award.

“I’ve seen Judge Masterton be ethical and fair in her decision-making and doing everything she can to support reunification of families when it is safe,” Adkins said. “She is a proponent of CASA in our community, our state and our nation. She is highly respected and assists in training new judges across Kentucky. She was also recently named to the national CASA Leadership Council.”

CASA of Lexington Executive Director Melynda Jamison said Masterton regularly presides over swearing in ceremonies for new CASA volunteers and has helped raise awareness about the CASA program through the Kentucky judges’ annual judicial college, leading to more awareness statewide.

CASA volunteers are trained and sworn community volunteers who are assigned typically to one case at a time in the family court system. They visit with the child or siblings who have been abused or neglected, talk with adults involved in the children’s life, and review medical and educational records. In the course of their work, which takes 5 to 10 hours a month, they improve communication and identify needs of the child that may have been overlooked.

Children who receive a CASA volunteer are more likely to receive services, more likely to do well in school and more likely to find a safe, permanent home that never disrupts again.

Judge Masterton recalled one case that stands out to her, in which a child was struggling with severe behavioral problems. The CASA volunteer identified hearing loss as a central cause of the behavioral issues.

“Because of the CASA, this child now has cochlear implants, is working with the Kentucky School for the Deaf, has tremendous services and his behavior has gotten better,” she said. “That’s just one example and it’s so powerful to me.”

Adkins said Masterton’s awareness of community resources and tireless efforts to get children and families services that can help them set her apart.

“Judge Masterton is nearing retirement and after her many years of service and her support of CASA of Lexington, I can’t think of someone more deserving for CASA judge of the year,” Adkins said.

Masterton said she is equally honored to have CASA volunteers available for difficult cases in her courtroom.

I really have to say it’s back at you,” she said. “This program is what makes my job easier and makes me a better judge because I have that voice of the CASA.”