'Commonwealth's Attorney' is the title given to the elected
felony prosecutor in
Kentucky and
Virginia. Other states refer to similar prosecutors as
District Attorney or
State's Attorney.
A Commonwealth's Attorney is the highest law enforcement official in their jurisdiction and in many jurisdictions supervises a staff of Assistant Commonwealth's Attorneys.
The role of Commonwealth's Attorneys, District Attorneys, and State's Attorneys should not be confused with the role of a
County Attorney or
City Attorney whose authority is usually limited by individual state constitutions to non-felony infractions or
misdemeanor cases.
Kentucky derived the title of the office from
Virginia, as it did much of its law when it was broken away from Virginia to become the 15th state.
Commonwealth's Attorneys are elected in their separate jurisdictions in both
Virginia and
Kentucky.
External links
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Constitution of Virginia
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Kentucky Constitution
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Virginia Statutes
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Kentucky Statutes
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Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, Virginia Beach, Virginia
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Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, Chesterfield County, Virginia (Chesterfield)
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Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, Jefferson County, Kentucky (Louisville)
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Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, Fayette County, Kentucky (Lexington)
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