LOUISVILLE — An unusual bit of courtroom drama unfolded Friday in the case of the adopted son of former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin alleging he was abused and abandoned by his adoptive parents.
Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin — acting as his own attorney — grilled his adopted son, Jonah, about an emergency protective order the son is seeking to keep in place against Bevin.
Jonah, 18, adopted at age 5 from Ethiopia, alleges he experienced abuse and neglect in the Bevin home, culminating in his abandonment at a brutally abusive youth facility last year in Jamaica while he was 17. Jonah is seeking an extension of the temporary protective order he obtained March 7 against Matt Bevin, saying he fears him and wants no contact with him.
Jonah has said he became a ward of Jamaica after the family sent him to the Atlantis Leadership Academy in Treasure Beach, Jamaica. Other boys who attended the American-run school told NBC News they were beaten, forced to exercise until they vomited, and made to hold uncomfortable positions for hours at a time.
Matt Bevin, seated beside his ex-wife, Glenna, at a table next to Jonah’s, spent about 30 minutes questioning him about a three-page statement Jonah provided in support of his request for an EPO — at one point challenging his claim that Matt Bevin had threatened to euthanize Jonah’s pet dog if the youth failed to follow his directives.
In a series of questions, the one-term Republican governor, seated with a stack of documents before him, demanded to know who paid for the dog, bought dog food and purchased its dog bed.
“You paid,” Jonah replied, but “I had to pay you back for everything.”
Friday’s hearing was continued until Tuesday by Family Court Judge Angela Johnson after parties said they would need more time to present witnesses. The couple’s divorce became final March 18.
Glenna Bevin, who is not subject to the EPO, appeared alongside her lawyer, Steve Romines, a prominent Louisville defense lawyer
In addition to seeking the protective order, Jonah Bevin has filed a report with Louisville Metro Police, alleging he was abandoned in Jamaica at age 17 by the Bevins, a Class D felony in Kentucky.
She sat quietly, hands folded in her lap, while her lawyer handled questions on her behalf. Romines spent most of his time apparently seeking to distance Glenna Bevin from allegations involving her ex-husband and show that she had attempted to get help for Jonah’s emotional problems and learning disabilities.
Neither Bevin has commented on Jonah’s allegations, first reported in the Kentucky Lantern Feb. 28.
This piece first appeared here on the website of the Kentucky Lantern.
