Few KY Judges Limit Domestic Offenders Gun Access

Kentucky lawmakers have resisted trends to restrict domestic violence offenders' access to guns.

In the past two years, more than a dozen states have passed similar laws to empower their local law enforcement agencies to enforce it. The bills have passed with support from both political parties in an era of heightened partisanship surrounding gun issues.

In Kentucky, similar efforts have failed in a state legislature where most members proudly display their ratings from the National Rifle Association. But a handful of state judges have been including gun bans as part of the emergency protective orders they issue in domestic violence situations. The effort has been led by Jerry Bowles, a former family court judge who now leads the Louisville Metro Domestic Violence Fatality Committee.