Gatlin Voelker PLLC

This is one of the strangest cases I have been involved in. As many know, I am unique in that I have represented both sides, I have governmental clients and private clients. For all my governmental friends, employees, lawyers, etc., simply working for government does not give you the authority to not follow the law. I have been contacted by news agencies throughout the state, including what is being called independent journalists, which ironically, many times have more followers and reach than traditional media outlets. For my governmental friends who are insured by KLC, it is unfortunate that rogue actions are what is driving up insurance costs. As a City Attorney, I have been fortunate to always have the respect from my "clients," meaning the elected officials, to take my advice and not engage in activity that will ultimately harm the true "clients," the taxpayers. Unfortunately, this is not always true around our great Commonwealth of Kentucky. Many years ago I told a City Attorney, who I was adverse to, that if the client is not willing to accept my advice and follow the law, I have an obligation to resign. I hope for the sake of all the cities in the Commonwealth, who operate consistent with the law, that their insurance costs are not driven up by actions of a few. I have also found in representing governmental agencies, when a mistake is made, admit it and try to rectify. This again, is a concept foreign to most. People are naturally forgiving. The underlying case, giving rise to all the publicity in London, Kentucky, was the shooting of an innocent man, at his home, about midnight, when the police when to the wrong address. When government seeks to act like your five year old, who has taken a cookie and you know it, but your child double downs with denial, is what causes people to lose faith in our system of government and laws. I have always taken representation of government as an honor, with a trust that should not be taken for granted. My hope is that I am able to right the wrong to my client, I know that I am working diligently and the outpouring of support from persons I do not even know in Southeastern Kentucky, reminds me my I wanted to be a lawyer in the first place.

At the end of a game the scoreboard reveals one of two outcomes, a Win or a loss. What’s not visible is what went in to the preparation, planning, early mornings, multiple practices, scrimmages, and conditioning which lead up to the game, and then the win. The same holds true when it comes to the scoreboard for Trial Lawyers. Most people will hear or read about a verdict, Guilty/not guilty, a 3.2 million dollar judgement for the plaintiff. What is not visible, are the pleadings early on, the investigation, fact gathering, depositions, finding the right experts, the late nights and early mornings working on the opening arguments, questions for the witness, closing arguments, and the family functions that are missed before and during the Trial. It’s great to get a W, but when you go beyond the scoreboard, the journey to the W is most memorable and satisfying.

It’s one thing to do what you love for a living, it’s quite another to do it with the one you love. I’ve been practicing law now for nearly 25 yrs, and for most of the journey, I’ve had the pleasure and challenge of working side by side with my wife April. We started out in Covington with a partner desk in one office. The pleasure is sharing in the challenge and rewards of building a regional law firm. The challenge is separating work from family time. It often is a line that gets blurred. We are excited to embark on the second half of our journey continuing to improve as attorneys and focusing on what matters most- our family.