Matt Bevin's contempt of court not discussed at latest hearing. What's next in the case?

Taylor Six and Christopher Leach, Lexington Herald-Leader on Oct 15, 2026

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LEXINGTON, Ky. — Former Gov. Matt Bevin was not present for a court hearing in his child support and divorce case Thursday, the first one since his arrest for contempt of court, but his attorneys appeared to make arguments on his behalf.

The case could reach a resolution soon, but the judge in the case is requesting more information before making a ruling. The hearing occurred Thursday in downtown Louisville.

Bevin’s attorney, Jesse Mudd, appeared on behalf of the former governor and argued that they have provided sufficient documentation for Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson to make a ruling. Bevin’s unwillingness to provide financial documentation contributed to Johnson’s decision to hold him in contempt previously.

One of Bevin’s adopted children, Jonah, requested Thursday’s hearing. Jonah intervened in the divorce case between Matt and Glenna Bevin and asked the court to grant him retroactive child support, alleging that his parents abandoned him at an abusive youth facility in Jamaica when he was 16, and are no longer financially supporting him.

The attorneys and Johnson expect the case to be appealed regardless of how she rules on that request.

“The case has been argued, the case has been submitted and needs to be decided so the court of appeals can then take a look at it,” Mudd said.

Johnson acknowledged that the case will likely be handled by an appeals court, but wants to make a complete ruling and needs more information before doing so. Specifically, Johnson is wanting more documentation related to Jonah Bevin’s education and how Jonah was supported by Matt and Glenna Bevin when he was a child.

“It’s going to go up, it’s going to be appealed no matter what I do. That’s fine, and I want them to make a decision to iron this out,” Johnson said. “What I don’t want is them saying, ‘you had not enough evidence to make that conclusion,’ and that’s exactly what you all are asking me to do.”

Johnson requested another hearing to gather everything she needs to make a ruling. A date for the future hearing was not set.

“I really am interested in getting documents to support the testimony,” Johnson said. “I want proof that Jonah received an appropriate education, and we’ll go from there.”

Johnson also said she is “not inclined to touch the issue” related to Bevin’s alleged contempt and sentencing, and was solely focused on gathering the final information needed to make a ruling in the child support case.

Bevin had been sentenced to serve 60 days in the local jail in Louisville for his contempt.

Bevin was taken to jail Sept. 3 after he was arrested while working as an extra on a movie set of a Christmas movie being filmed in Bourbon County. Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson issued the arrest warrant on a charge of contempt on June 5. He was at-large for months.

Bevin filed a motion for emergency relief to the Kentucky Court of Appeals shortly after being detained. The motion called the former governor’s sentence an unlawful civil-contempt punishment that didn’t give him any possibility of cooperating in his ongoing divorce and child support case.

“Each additional day of unlawful incarceration represents a deprivation of Matt’s liberty that cannot be later restored,” Bevin’s lawyer, Jesse Mudd, said in the motion.