One might think the reading of the United States Constitution and all of that honored document’s articles and amendments would make for a somber occasion, but at the Christian County Justice Center, members from all levels of the judicial were in fine spirits for the annual reading Friday.
It took place in the Christian Circuit Courtroom of Judge John Atkins, where local judges, public defenders, attorneys, members of the Christian County Bar Association and paralegals about to head to law school read from the document that set down the very foundations of this country.
While the Declaration of Independence announced the United States of America was a country to the world, and in particular Great Britain, in 1776, the Constitution wouldn’t be written and signed into law until 1787. It took a good deal of time to debate and design what democracy and law would be needed to shape a country—and then it wasn’t ratified until 1788.
Since then, it has been the foundation on which this country sits, and at the forefront of that is the judicial system, which is why this event is held each year. Before the official reading began, District Judge Lindsey Adams kicked things off with a call back to Schoolhouse Rock, who explained everything quite neatly in song.
Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Shea Nickell began the readings, starting with the part of the Constitution that many still have memorized, in forming a more perfect union.
The whole Constitution was read from start to finish, with members of the judicial taking turns to read the different articles and sections. James Adams Esquire with the Bar Association got the honor of reading the first amendment for the Bill of Rights, which arguably is the best known one.
They were joined by the Knights of Columbus, who were handing out flags and copies of the Constitution, and members of the community who still hold on to the ideal the Founding Fathers dreamed up, 250 years ago.
