David Lee Bunning (born May 11, 1966) is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky. He was nominated to the federal bench by President George W. Bush.
Early Life and Education Bunning was born in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kentucky in 1988 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1991. He is the son of Jim Bunning, a former Major League Baseball pitcher, U.S. Representative, and U.S. Senator for Kentucky.
Career Following law school, Bunning served as a staff attorney for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals from 1991 to 1992. He then worked in private practice in Covington, Kentucky, from 1992 to 1995. From 1995 to 1999, he was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky.
In 1999, Bunning was appointed as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Kentucky, where he served until his elevation to the district court.
Federal Judicial Service On December 19, 2001, President George W. Bush nominated Bunning to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky vacated by Judge William O. Bertelsman. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination by a voice vote on February 7, 2002, and he received his commission on February 8, 2002. His chambers are located in Covington, Kentucky.
Notable Cases Judge Bunning presided over several significant cases during his tenure. Most notably, in 2015, he was the presiding judge in the high-profile case involving Kim Davis, the Rowan County Clerk. Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Bunning held Davis in contempt of court and ordered her to be jailed for defying a court order to issue the licenses. She was released five days later after her deputies began issuing licenses. The case drew significant national and international attention.