County Attorney's Office personnel visit countless communiuty organizations each year, providing information on our programs and services and talking to classes on a variety of topics. 

Attorney Lonita Gaines recently visited with a class at Portland Elementary for its Career Day.

If your organization would like to have a County Attorney representative speak, contact us at:

 http://louisvilleky.gov/CountyAttorney/requestaspeaker.htm

Mark Barry has been awarded Prosecutor of the Month for his excellent work on two trials during May.

On May 13 and 14th Mark tried a year old warrant assault case that had been continued numerous times by a prior prosecutor.  When Mark inherited the case and couldn’t resolve it, he set it for trial and tried the case. Although the jury returned a not guilty verdict, the victim had finally had their day in court.

The very next week on May 20 and 21st, Mark went to trial again-this time on a DUI from 2012.  The only evidence Mark had was one field sobriety test. The defendant had taken a breath test and given an inadequate sample, and then refused a blood test.  At trial, the defendant claimed he was not intoxicated and that the field sobriety test was conducted improperly.

The jury deliberated for 30 minutes before returning with a guilty verdict. The jury recommended 21 days in jail and a $500 fine. 

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Summer is a time for family gatherings and fun. It's also a season which requires closer attention to safety in order to keep festivities enjoyable.

With one in five Americans developing skin cancer, childhood education about sun safety is a vital step toward reducing risk and improving public health. Learning about sun safety and dangers of sunbeds is the key to reducing the risk of future health problems.

Water Safety

According to NSC Injury Facts, nearly 4,000  die due to drowning, including swimming and water transport accidents. More than one in five drowning victims are children 14-years-old and younger, and for every child who dies from drowning, another four receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

Surviving the Hot Weather

Heatstroke in vehicles has become an increasing issue for young children, causing 43 fatalities in 2013, according to SafeKids. Children overheat three to five times faster than adults, making hot cars lethal in just minutes.

Impaired Driving

In 2010, there were 10,228 deaths in crashes involving a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher – 31 percent of all traffic fatalities for the year. While it is illegal to drive with a .08 blood alcohol concentration in all 50 states, driving ability can be impaired below the legal limit too. If you are drinking, do not drive. If you plan to drink, designate a non-drinking driver.

Fireworks Safety

Summer also brings an increase in injuries from backyard grills, bonfires and fireworks. In 2010, fireworks caused an estimated 15,500 reported fires, including 1,100 structure fires. These fires resulted in an estimated 8,600 people treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries, 39 percent of whom were under 15 years of age.

Long-time County Attorney's Office employee Lori Bradley has retired. Most recently she was the smiling face at the information desk in the Hall of Justice. She will be missed.

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