Boyce G. Clayton

Boyce G. Clayton (October 22, 1929 – March 15, 2020) was a justice of the Kentucky's top courts from 1975 to 1983, serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals from 1975 to 1976, and on the newly created Kentucky Supreme Court from 1976 to 1983.

Early life, education, and career Born in Birmingham, Alabama, he attended Benton High School and served in the United States Army after World War II. He graduated from Murray State University and briefly taught in Metropolis, Illinois, and then at Waggerner High School, in Kentucky, while pursuing his J.D. at the University of Louisville School of Law. In 1968, he was elected as the Commonwealth's Attorney for the 42nd circuit. He was a Democrat.

Judicial Service In 1974, Clayton defeated incumbent Justice Earl T. Osborne in the Democratic primary for a seat on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, which was the highest court in Kentuc at the time. He took office on January 6, 1975. On January 1, 1976, Clayton and the six other Justices of the Court of Appeals were automatically elevated to the newly formed Kentucky Supreme Court. In 1982, he lost the position to Roy N. Vance in the nonpartisan general election, and left office on January 3, 1983.

In 1983, he ran to join the Kentucky Court of Appeals, defeating incumbent judge Bill Paxton. In 1991, he was defeated for a second term by Rick Johnson. After concluding his judicial service, he was the City Attorney for Benton, Kentucky for four years, until he retired from practice.