56th Judicial Division II District Judge Matt Schalk was the guest speaker at the Princeton Rotary Club’s meeting Tuesday and talked about the most poignant things he has learned during his first 7 months on the bench.
Judge Schalk, a member of the Princeton Rotary Club, said he spoke with former 56th Circuit Judge and retired Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham after he realized that serving as a judge was a lot harder than he thought because he found himself pondering over the decisions he made on court cases.
Schalk said he felt better after Cunningham told him that he was doing all the right things.
He also has come to the realization that being a judge is a 24/7 job.
Schalk added that he also receives calls about emergency protective orders, mental health issues, and from law enforcement regarding other issues.
All-in-all, Schalk said he likes his job as District Judge.
Even though he works long hours, he noted that his quality of life is better as a judge when compared to being an attorney.
Schalk was a practicing attorney for 15 years prior to throwing his name into the hat as a write-in candidate for the 56th Judicial Division II District Judge’s seat vacated by District Judge Natalie White who became the 56th Circuit Division II Judge in January. He defeated another write-in candidate, Attorney Jennifer Nelson, in the November 2022 General Election.
The 56th Circuit includes the counties of Caldwell, Livingston, Lyon and Trigg.
