FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 5, 2016) – Gov. Matt Bevin has appointed the Honorable James Wiley Craft II, of Whitesburg, Ky., as Circuit Judge for the 47th Judicial Circuit to replace the Honorable Samuel Wright, who resigned last year and was appointed to the Kentucky Supreme Court.
“I would like to thank Gov. Bevin for his confidence in appointing me as the next Circuit Judge of Letcher County and I look forward to serving the citizens of my community in that role,” said Mr. Craft.
Mr. Craft grew up in Letcher County and has practiced law there for more than 20 years. He attended Whitesburg Elementary School, Middle School and High School. After graduating in 1986, Craft attended the University of Kentucky where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1990.
Upon completing college, Craft was accepted at the Thomas M. Cooley School of Law, graduating with a Juris Doctorate Degree in 1994. Additionally, he has been president of the Letcher County Bar Association since 1995 and was the city attorney for Whitesburg from 1998 to 2005. Since 2005, Craft has been the city attorney for the City of Neon and is presently the attorney for the Whitesburg Housing Authority.
While he originally opened his private practice in 1994, Craft also served as the Assistant County Attorney from 1994 to 1998 and has been attorney for the Letcher County Library Board.
Mr. Craft is married Kimberly Collier from Eolia, Ky. Together, they have two children, Rebecca Cook and James W. Craft, III. Rebecca is a dentist at Mountain Comprehensive Health in Whitesburg and James W. Craft, III is a sophomore at the University of Kentucky.
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