--- title: "Sara Walter Combs | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/sara-walter-combs-judge-kentucky-court-of-appeals-7th-appellate-district-division-1-ky" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-08-02" --- # Sara Walter Combs Kentucky Court of Appeals · Judge ## Profile - Court: Kentucky Court of Appeals - State: Kentucky - Role: Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-29 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - In January 1994, she joined the Kentucky Court of Appeals, a seat she has held continuously, and in 2004 became the first woman and first judge from the 7th district to serve as Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, a role she held until 2010 - Began her legal career in 1979 as a law clerk to former Kentucky Governor Bert T. Combs, later working in corporate law and as a solo practitioner - Judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals, serving Division 1 of the 7th Appellate District, and is the first woman to hold the position of Chief Judge of that court ### Education ### Additional information - In September 2026, Judge Combs issued a ruling denying an emergency appeal by foster parents to block the reunification of a one-year-old girl with her detained mother. - Outstanding Judge of the Year (Kentucky Bar Association, 2010) - In July 1993, Governor Brereton Jones appointed her as the first woman to serve on the Kentucky Supreme Court, though she lost the subsequent election that year. - Born August 24, 1948 in Louisville, Kentucky, Combs is a graduate of Sacred Heart Academy (valedictorian) and the University of Louisville, where she obtained a B.A. and M.A. in French and later a J.D. from the Brandeis School of Law. - Date of birth: 1948-08-24 - The widow of former Kentucky Governor Bert T. Combs, with whom she shared her home, Fern Hill, in Powell County, Kentucky. - The matter was referred to a three-judge panel for further review Kentucky Lantern - She found the foster parents lacked standing and that the child’s mother had suffered significant hardship, including prosecution and incarceration. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### remote hearing platform Scope: statewide Kentucky Court of Justice publishes statewide instructions for using Zoom to participate in remote court proceedings. Evidence excerpt: This page provides general instructions about how to use Zoom to participate in a remote court proceeding. [Kentucky Court of Justice: Remote Court General Instructions](https://kycourts.gov/Courts/Pages/Remote-Court-Information.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### video voice content sharing Scope: statewide Kentucky identifies Zoom as a platform that supports video, voice, and content sharing for desktops, mobile devices, phones, and room systems. Evidence excerpt: Zoom is a videoconferencing platform that offers video, voice and content sharing for desktops, mobile devices, phones and room systems. [Kentucky Court of Justice: Remote Court General Instructions](https://kycourts.gov/Courts/Pages/Remote-Court-Information.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### county login information Scope: statewide Kentucky directs parties to obtain specific remote-court login information from the circuit court clerk for the county where they are scheduled to appear. Evidence excerpt: To request specific login information for your court event, contact the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in the county in which you are scheduled to appear. [Kentucky Court of Justice: Remote Court General Instructions](https://kycourts.gov/Courts/Pages/Remote-Court-Information.aspx) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://kycourts.gov/Courts/Court-of-Appeals/Pages/default.aspx) - [Official roster](https://kycourts.gov/Courts/Court-of-Appeals/Pages/default.aspx) - [Kentucky Court of Justice official judicial roster](https://kycourts.gov/Courts/Court-of-Appeals/Pages/default.aspx) - [Kentucky Court of Justice: Remote Court General Instructions](https://kycourts.gov/Courts/Pages/Remote-Court-Information.aspx) - [Wikidata: Sara W. Combs](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23023757) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/sara-walter-combs-judge-kentucky-court-of-appeals-7th-appellate-district-division-1-ky", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/sara-walter-combs-judge-kentucky-court-of-appeals-7th-appellate-district-division-1-ky", "name": "Sara Walter Combs | KnowJudges", "description": "Sara Walter Combs, Kentucky Court of Appeals. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-08-02", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/sara-walter-combs-judge-kentucky-court-of-appeals-7th-appellate-district-division-1-ky#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/sara-walter-combs-judge-kentucky-court-of-appeals-7th-appellate-district-division-1-ky#judge", "name": "Sara Walter Combs", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/sara-walter-combs-judge-kentucky-court-of-appeals-7th-appellate-district-division-1-ky", "jobTitle": "Judge", "worksFor": { "@type": "GovernmentOrganization", "name": "Kentucky Court of Appeals" }, "sameAs": [ "https://kycourts.gov/Courts/Court-of-Appeals/Pages/default.aspx" ], "birthDate": "1948-08-24", "alumniOf": [ { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Louisville School of Law" }, { "@type": "EducationalOrganization", "name": "University of Louisville" } ] }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "KnowJudges", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Kentucky", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/state/kentucky" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sara Walter Combs", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/sara-walter-combs-judge-kentucky-court-of-appeals-7th-appellate-district-division-1-ky" } ] } ] } ```