Judge denies bail, orders jail time for ex-Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin

A judge on Friday ordered former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) to serve 60 days in jail without bond after he was arrested on an outstanding warrant in a child support case involving his estranged wife.

“He has over and over again demonstrated a complete disregard and utter disrespect for this court,” Judge Angela Johnson said during the Friday afternoon hearing. “You have shown this court that you are not going to do what you are ordered to do because you don’t think it should be this way.”

A warrant for his arrest was issued in June after the former governor failed to produce court-ordered financial documents.

Bevin was arrested Thursday in Paris, Ky., on the set of a Christmas movie where he was working as an extra. The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office said it had received a tip that he was participating in the film project.

Sheriff Tony Asbury said in a press release that Bevin was “very cooperative” during his arrest.

Bevin’s attorneys argued the contempt order was not appropriate because he was unable to do what the court asked of him.

The warrant was tied to Bevin’s failure to provide financial documents in a child support dispute involving his adopted son, Jonah Bevin, who is seeking retroactive support.

John Helmers, an attorney for Jonah Bevin, accused the former governor of actively avoiding the court in Friday’s hearing, including by being on the set of a movie rather than complying with the court order.

“These are the same rules that apply to every citizen, everyone in the state of Kentucky,” Helmers said.

“The sad reality is that adoption is supposed to be forever,” Jonah Bevin said in a statement issued Friday. “And this makes it clear that my parents haven’t felt that kind of love for me in a long time.”

Bevin served as Kentucky governor from 2015 to 2019, before narrowly losing reelection to Gov. Andy Beshear (D).