Bill aimed at tightening Kentucky's criminal justice system moves forward

HB 422, also known as Logan's Law, passed the House this week with bipartisan support. The bill seeks to ensure that serious violent criminals serve longer, more definitive prison terms in Kentucky.

The bill is named in honor of Logan Tipton, who was killed in 2015 after a man broke into his home in the middle of the night and stabbed the then six-year-old and his sister. In 2018, Ronald Exantus was convicted of assault but found not guilty of the more serious charges of capital murder and first-degree burglary by reason of insanity.

Despite opposition from the Kentucky Parole Board, he was released from prison last October on mandatory reentry supervision. Exantus was arrested just eight days later for violating the terms of that release.

If it passes and is signed by the Governor, Logan's Law would:

• Expand the definition of a violent offender
• Increase the time served before parole
• Limit early release options for violent felons
• Reform the statute on an insanity plea
• Ensure that if parole is denied to someone convicted of a violent felony, that person would not be eligible for early release
• Create a pathway for severely mentally ill defendants to receive proper treatment

Logan's father, Dean Tipton, said, "I have 100% faith in it, and you know, Logan's gonna save some other kids, some other family, and his legacy will be here long after we're all gone. So in a way, he's gonna outlive us all."

Logan's Law now heads to the Kentucky Senate.