Kenton County Sheriff Jude Hehman Sued by Ex-Wife in Post-Divorce Court Battle

FORT MITCHELL, Ky. — Katherine “Katie” Hehman, the ex-wife of Kenton County Sheriff Jude Hehman, has filed a sharp motion in Kenton County Circuit Court accusing her former husband of repeatedly violating their court-approved divorce agreement on parenting time and property division.In the motion filed February 5, 2026, in Case No. 25-CI-309, Ms. Hehman asks Family Court Division IV to take several aggressive steps: terminate the parties’ collaborative participation agreement, enforce the original shared parenting schedule, force the immediate listing and sale of property in Fort Mitchell, hold Hehman in contempt, and award her $1,500 in attorney fees.

Contempt of Court Claims

Ms. Hehman argues that after giving Hehman “additional time and chances to comply,” she has no choice but to seek court enforcement and termination of the collaborative process. The motion was filed by attorney Jeffrey J. Otis of Florence on behalf of Ms. Hehman No response from Jude Hehman or his attorney appears in the publicly available court filing.As of April 2026, Hehman continues to serve as Kenton County Sheriff and is actively campaigning for the Republican nomination in the May primary. He has not publicly commented on the family court matter. This is a developing story. Court records are public, and any hearing dates or further filings will be available through the Kenton County Circuit Clerk’s office.

Hehman, not elected, was appointed Kenton County Sheriff in January 2026 after serving as Fort Mitchell’s mayor for 11 years, is currently running in the Republican primary for the sheriff’s office. According to the filing, the couple’s Property and Custody Agreement was signed April 10, 2025, and incorporated into their Decree of Dissolution on April 21, 2025. Ms. Hehman claims she has fully complied with every term, while Hehman has not.

Parenting Time Dispute

Under the original agreement, Ms. Hehman was granted specific parenting time: including multiple days per week and certain weekends. She claims she is currently receiving only a few hours per week, under a temporary arrangement. Ms. Hehman alleges Hehman has unilaterally blocked increases to the parenting time. She is now asking the court to enforce the full shared parenting schedule as originally agreed

 Financial Obligations
Ms. Hehman states the agreement required Hehman to list and sell property in Fort Mitchell. If  it was not sold by August 31, 2025, the parties were supposed to meet and set a new timeline. No sale occurred, and Ms. Hehman says Hehman refused to meet or discuss a new schedule despite her requests. She is entitled to $175,000 from the sale proceeds and wants the court to compel an immediate listing and distribution of her share.

Alleged Contempt Violations
The motion also details several alleged violations of the divorce decree:Hehman was required to remove Ms Hehman’s name from a Stock Yard Bank home equity line of credit (HELOC) on the property and to hold her harmless from the debt.
He has allegedly failed to do so.

The HELOC payments are delinquent, and the bank has contacted Ms. Hehman multiple times demanding payment because her name remains on the loan.
Under the agreement’s “Credit Score Protection” section, Jude Hehman was supposed to mitigate damage to Katie Hehman’s credit caused by the delinquencies, but she claims he has not.

As of April 2026, Jude Hehman continues to serve CEO of Furlong and as Kenton County Sheriff part-time and is actively campaigning for the Republican nomination in the May primary. He has not publicly commented on the family court matter.This is a developing story. Court records are public, and any hearing dates or further filings will be available through the Kenton County Circuit Clerk’s office.