Commonwealth’s attorneys prosecute felony crimes in Kentucky and are the highest-ranking law enforcement official in their jurisdiction.

Once elected, they serve six-year terms.

Kentucky has 57 commonwealth’s attorneys with no commonwealth’s attorney serving more than four counties.

To view a list of commonwealth’s attorneys by county, click here.

According to the Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorneys Association website, a commonwealth’s attorney is a constitutional officer, meaning that the job is established in the state’s constitution that defines the position, the broad powers of the elected officeholder and the requirement that every county and city be served by a commonwealth’s attorney.

The roles of commonwealth’s attorneys, district attorneys and state’s attorneys are different than the roles of a county attorney or city attorney whose authority is usually regulated by individual state constitutions to nonfelony infractions or misdemeanor cases.

Kentucky Commonwealth's Attorneys Association website