Judge fines man $200, reaffirms 50-foot stay-away after Diddle Arena encounter

A Cumberland County judge on Thursday found that a man violated an interim protective order after multiple incidents that included an encounter at Diddle Arena and a separate youth baseball field.

The court concluded the man had come within the court-ordered 50-foot buffer and engaged in behavior the judge described as intimidating. The judge imposed a $200 fine and ordered the man to stay at least 50 feet from the protected person at public events, to cease any harassment or stalking behavior, and to avoid interfering with child-exchange logistics. The court also named who may conduct child exchanges and urged both sides to follow that roster to avoid future incidents.

The finding followed testimony from witnesses who said the man was seen near the protected person at several youth sporting events. Western Kentucky University police officer Dustin Lee reviewed arena video and measured the distance between the two parties, telling the court his on-scene measurements showed the man was about 40–42 feet away—below the 50-foot buffer named in the order. Witness Ashley Mims told the court the man “was staring at me, very intimidating,” after moving from the upper level to the floor during a game. Jamie Cooksey, also at the game, said she observed the man standing and later on the floor but testified she did not see an approach or escalate into a confrontation.

The judge declined to treat the arena incident as the sole basis for escalating custody changes, saying the existing schedule remained in place. But the court tightened enforcement language: the man must not harass, follow, stalk or otherwise contact the protected person, and the judge explicitly said law enforcement may arrest immediately on any further violation rather than await additional hearings. The court also confirmed an exchange protocol naming three family members who may perform child exchanges to reduce direct contact between the parents.

The court said it will refer the social-media/text-message chain introduced by witnesses for further review to determine whether any messages were fabricated and whether criminal charges are appropriate; the judge instructed the parties not to discuss the evidence further without counsel.

The judge warned both parties that the family’s open conflict had already harmed the child and that the court expected strict compliance with the protective order and exchange rules. The order keeps current weekend visitation in place for the noncustodial parent, while preserving the court’s ability to revisit custody or visitation if future violations occur.