A temporary suspension has been imposed on Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronnie Goldy.
The Eastern Kentucky prosecutor was suspended after promising to help the defendant in exchange for nude photos, the Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled.
While the court temporarily suspended Goldy, it said in its Friday order that only the General Assembly could impeach him from office.
According to the newspaper, Goldy exchanged 230 pages of Facebook messages with a female defendant. He testified at a hearing on Sept. 8 that he did not recall sending the messages, but he did not deny having sent them. Goldy withdrew warrants and had cases continued in exchange for photos, according to the woman, who also claimed that she had sex with the prosecutor.
It is alleged that Goldy traded legal favors for sexual favors, a claim he denies.
According to Misty Helton, the woman on the other side of the story, Goldy helped her with court cases, helped her out of warrants, and got her out of drug court in exchange for nude pictures.
According to Kentucky inmate records, Misty Helton is incarcerated for possessing a controlled substance in the 1st degree.
Besides the suspension, Goldy may also be disbarred. A judge heard both sides during a five-hour evidentiary hearing less than a week ago.
For more on this story, please consider these sources:
- Kentucky court suspends prosecutor who asked for nude photos NBC News
- Commonwealth’s Attorney Ronnie Goldy temporarily suspended from practicing law LEX 18 News – Lexington, KY