Kentucky’s county attorneys handle the legal nuts and bolts that keep local government running smoothly.
County attorneys’ terms are four years, and they are not term-limited. In Kentucky, county attorneys handle all misdemeanor crimes in District Court, while the elected commonwealth’s attorney prosecutes felonies in Circuit Court. The two offices often collaborate on investigations and case referrals, especially when misdemeanor charges escalate to felonies.
All 120 Kentucky counties have a county attorney.
The county attorney’s office has prosecutors who handle everything from driving and traffic offenses to domestic and family-related misdemeanors and common criminal cases such as trespassing.
They also run the child support office, overseeing collections and representing the state’s interests in family court.
The county attorney is the county fiscal court’s attorney.
“If the fiscal court has questions as to whether some proposal, some action, is legal, the county attorney is the first person they will typically go to for an opinion,” Former legislator and current public policy and political consultant Adam Keonig said.
- Jordan Dallas Turner was elected Boone County Attorney on Nov. 8, 2022. She is the first woman in Boone County’s history to hold this office.
- Stacy Tapke was first elected as the Kenton County Attorney on Nov. 4, 2014. She is the first woman in Kenton County’s history to hold this office.
- Steve Franzen was re-elected Campbell County Attorney in November 2018.
The county attorney also attends fiscal court meetings to ensure everything is being done properly on behalf of the county’s citizens.
If a county gets sued, the county attorney will typically represent them, like what an attorney general would do for a state.
County attorneys are paid by a mix of state and local funds. The state provides a base salary and reimbursements for certain legal duties, while counties fund staff, office operations, and benefits. Salaries vary by population size and caseload.