On Thursday, February 19, 2026, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued an order vacating and remanding a decision by the Board of Governors regarding Sheridan Martin’s motion for reinstatement to the bar. The court determined it was necessary to review the Board of Governors’ decision to deny Martin’s reinstatement after ordering and receiving briefs on the matter.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Sheridan Martin,” with case number 2025-SC-0191-KB.
The court had previously struck a brief provided by the Office of Bar Counsel (OBC) due to insufficient citations. The court also questioned the more than twelve-year delay in Martin’s reinstatement hearing, which occurred while the matter was under investigation by the Character and Fitness Committee, which conducted three separate investigations. While the court acknowledged the OBC’s lack of control over the delay, it deemed the delay “highly inappropriate and unwarranted.”
The court noted that Martin’s reinstatement process began under previous rules where the Character and Fitness Committee oversaw investigations without a set timeline. The court expressed hope that Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 3.502, effective April 1, 2022, would expedite future investigations.
The court concluded that the Board of Governors failed to adequately support its Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Recommendation with specific citations to the record. The Character and Fitness Committee’s failure to provide adequate support was partially to blame.
The court ordered the Board of Governors to reconsider whether Martin should be reinstated, taking into account the briefing received by the Court. The court acknowledged the serious nature of Martin’s original offenses but emphasized the need to evaluate his actions since then. The court suggested that if Martin is reinstated, safeguards may be necessary to protect the public, potentially through a reinstatement order or a negotiated agreement.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
