The 20 members of the Louisville Metro Council who make up the Council Court in councilwoman Judy Green's expulsion hearing unanimously decided to proceed with the hearing on Monday, despite Green's resignation Friday morning.
Green was not present at Monday afternoon's hearing, but her attorney Derwin Webb argued that Green's resignation should end the proceedings against her.
But Green's resignation won't officially take effect until Sept. 22, the date of the next council meeting. So the Council Court first had to consider Webb's request that they drop the charges against Green before commencing with the hearing.
As the hearing was to begin, Green was not present and her attorney, Derwin Webb, was seen leaving City Hall.
Green faces two ethical misconduct charges:
- One in connection with her management of a summer jobs program for youth, in which at least 10 of her family members worked
- A second for her distribution of a $7,500 grant to the non-profit 100 Black Men of Louisville, which rerouted most of the money to other organizations at Green's direction and without the council's knowledge.
The Louisville Metro Ethics Commission found Green violated multiple sections of the city's ethics law in both cases and recommended she be removed from office while also issuing her a letter of reprimand and censure. Green has appealed those findings to Jefferson Circuit Court.
Five of Green's council colleagues signed a petition in June, charging her with misconduct and setting the stage for the removal hearing. Webb, filed a request with the council Friday, asking that the charges against her be dropped in light of her resignation.
For months, Green had vowed to supporters that she would fight the charges - saying as recently as Thursday that she had no plans to resign.
She filed a two-sentence letter of resignation with Metro Council President Jim King Friday.
Her letter gave no indication as to why she was stepping down, but was accompanied by the request to dismiss the charges as being "moot" after her resignation.
Jefferson County Attorney Mike O'Connell ruled last month that the hearing could proceed without Green.
The council court will likely accept as evidence Green's testimony during the two Ethics Commission hearings; all other witnesses are still under subpoena and could be called to testify.
Seven of Judy Green's supporters held a prayer for the embattled councilwoman outside City Hall Monday morning, just two hours before her expulsion hearing was scheduled to begin.
Rev. Charles Elliott, senior pastor at the King Solomon Baptist Church, gave a "warning" to the members of the Louisville Metro Council who will act as a jury in Green's case that it will be appealed to the "Supreme Power."
"Not the Supreme Court," Elliott said. "The Supreme Power."