Jefferson District Court
Ann Bailey Smith
Division 16
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Jefferson District Court Ann Bailey Smith
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PERSONAL
Married for 21 years to attorney Leo G. Smith
Mother of 4 children (2 girls and 2 boys); ages 13, 16, 17 and 19
Lifelong resident of Louisville
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Graduated from the University of Louisville in May 1979 with a Bachelor
of Arts Degree in English
Summer Session 1979 at the University of London, England (Scholarship Recipient from Louisville Branch of the English-Speaking Union)
Graduated from the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville in
May 1982 with a Juris Doctorate Degree (Member, Journal of Family Law, Law Review staff)
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND – Trial lawyer for over 25 years as a
defense attorney, prosecutor, and law firm associate.
STAFF ATTORNEY WITH THE LOUISVILLE METRO PUBLIC DEFENDER
I began my practice representing juveniles accused of status and delinquency offenses. I represented juvenile clients in numerous bench trials. I served as co-counsel in the circuit court jury trial of Commonwealth v. Major Crane, in which a juvenile was accused of murder. The groundwork was laid at the trial level that led the United States Supreme Court to render a unanimous decision in favor of the defense in Crane v. Kentucky, 106 S.Ct. 2142 (1986). This case is one of only six cases argued before the United States Supreme Court by the Louisville Metro Public Defender’s Office.
I also represented clients in district court jury and bench trials who were facing involuntary hospitalization as a result of mental inquest warrants.
The majority of my practice with the Public Defender’s Office has been representing indigent adults accused of crimes in both district and circuit court, ranging from traffic offenses to capital murder cases in which the death penalty was sought. Among the more challenging cases was the jury trial of Commonwealth v. Valerie Wallace, in which the prosecution sought the death penalty for a woman accused of killing her husband at whose hands she had suffered years of domestic violence. Then Circuit Court Judge Martin Johnstone presided over the trial in which the jury acquitted Ms. Wallace.
All told, I have served as lead counsel in more than 50 circuit court felony jury trials and as co-counsel in three death penalty trials.
I have approximately thirteen years of supervisory experience, both in the Adult and Capital Trial Divisions. In that capacity I supervised an average of eight (8) staff trial attorneys at any given time. I co-counseled cases with new attorneys, including regularly scheduled training and mock trial exercises, while maintaining my own caseload.
PROSECUTOR WITH THE JEFFERSON COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE
I was one of two prosecutors entrusted with the responsibility of trying all DUI jury trials for the County Attorney’s Office. In that capacity, I prosecuted approximately 30 jury trials. I also prosecuted numerous bench trials.
ASSOCIATE WITH THE LAW FIRM OF GOLDBERG & SIMPSON, P.S.C.
My areas of practice included personal injury, adoption, divorce, child custody, and criminal law. I worked primarily with partner Mitchell Charney and former partner (later Circuit Court Judge) Rebecca Westerfield.
MEMBERSHIPS
Kentucky Bar Association (October 1982)
Louis D. Brandeis American Inn of Court (Masters category)
Louisville Bar Association (former co-chair of the Criminal Law Section)
Former member and Chair of Citizens for Better Judges
AWARDS
2002 Recipient of the Gideon Award established by the Department of Public Advocacy in celebration of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision and “awarded to the person who has demonstrated commitment to equal justice and who has courageously advanced the right to counsel for poor people in Kentucky.”
Honored as Outstanding Alumna of the Brandeis School of Law in 1998.
First Place, Pirtle-Washer Moot Court Competition (1980) – the Brandeis School of Law’s “oldest and most prestigious intramural moot court tournament.”