Quick Facts
Biography
Joseph H. McKinley Jr. (born 1954) is a United States federal judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
Early life and education
Born in Owensboro, Kentucky, McKinley received a B.S. from the University of Kentucky in 1976 and a J.D. from the University of Louisville School of Law in 1979.
Career
McKinley was in private practice in Owensboro, Kentucky from 1979 to 1991. He was a Commissioner, Kentucky Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 1982 to 1990. He was an Assistant county attorney of Daviess County, Kentucky from 1985 to 1987. He was a Hearing Officer, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet from 1990 to 1991.
Federal judicial service
McKinley was a judge on the Daviess County Circuit Court, Division I, Kentucky from 1992 to 1995.
McKinley is a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. McKinley was nominated by President Bill Clinton on May 24, 1995, to a seat vacated by Ronald E. Meredith. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 11, 1995, and received his commission on August 14, 1995. He became chief judge of the court on November 15, 2011.