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Office News |
Lexington, KY. Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson recently announced the appointment of Melissa A. Moore as Assistant Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney. She served as a Clerk for Fayette Circuit Judge Rebecca Overstreet prior to her appointment. "Melissa brings a keen intellect and outstanding work ethic to this position," said Larson. "We are proud that young lawyers of her caliber are so dedicated to public service. She will be a credit to our community," Larson added.
Melissa A. Moore is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History. She graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Her focus is on the investigation and prosecution of repeat offenders. |
| Office Staff Enjoys Picnic In The Park | ||||||||
Lexington, KY. The entire staff of the office of the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney gathered in the shadow of the old Circuit Courthouse at Cheapside Park for a picnic on Wednesday, June 19, 2002. Interns, victim advocates, staff members, and prosecutors alike brought a variety of culinary creations to go along with the fried chicken served at the event.
While the traditional picnic fare was impressive, the general consensus was that the high point of the meal was the dessert selection. "It's not all work in the trenches of the war on crime," said a member of the office, "Sometimes this job can be pretty sweet!" |
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| "Family Tradition" Honor Bestowed On Prosecutor | ||||||||
Lexington, KY. Every March, brackets are filled out for the NCAA Basketball Tournament in offices across the nation. A similar contest is held annually by the family of prosecutor Dan Laren, but the prize is a traveling trophy adapted from one earned by his grandfather, a long-time pigeon-racing enthusiast. Dan brought the trophy home with his picks in March Madness 2002 and was honored to have it delivered by his parents, who came to the office on a visit to Lexington. |
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| Prosecutors' Office Well Represented In 4th Of July Bluegrass 10,000 Meter Race | ||||||||
Lexington, KY. Six members of the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office staff participated in the annual Bluegrass 10,000 race held on the 4th of July. Joe Bouvier, Jason Rothrock, Brian Mattone, Carolyn Miller, Connie Payne and La Tasha Buckner all competed in Lexington's annual Bluegrass 10,000. Joe Bouvier, the oldest of the participants, relied on his experience and race savvy to out-distance all the other participants from the office. |
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| Summer Intern Sworn In As American Citizen | ||||||||
Lexington, KY. Aimee Desai, a member of the 2002 Prosecutorial Internship Program of the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, was one of 46 immigrants representing 25 different countries who became American citizens at a ceremony held at the United States District Courthouse in Lexington, Kentucky. After the naturalization ceremony, her co-workers celebrated her new status as an American citizen with a party at the Office of the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney.
The Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Summer Internship Program exposes law students to the workings of the criminal justice system through work on pending criminal cases. Interns participate with felony prosecutors throughout every stage of a criminal case, from interviewing witnesses, conducting legal research, drafting motions and responses, and evaluating evidence to discussing trial strategy and assisting at trial. |
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| Children's Advocacy Center Hosts 4th Annual "Strike Out Child Abuse" Bowl-A-Thon | ||||||||
Lexington, KY. Eastland Bowling Lanes hosted the 4th Annual Children’s Advocacy Center Bowl-A-Thon on Saturday, April 22, 2002. The Bowl-A-Thon serves as a child abuse awareness project for the Lexington area. This year, members of the University of Kentucky football and tennis teams joined numerous health care professionals and concerned citizens to retain awareness about the steps being taken in our community to deal with unique problems relating to child abuse. Following a presentation of information from several agencies which offer support to child victims and their families, bowlers filled the lanes. The event also included numerous door prizes generously donated by several Lexington merchants. The Office of the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney fielded a team of spectacular bowlers, ranging from age 6 to several veteran prosecutors. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Dan Laren rolled a personal high score of 221. Dan was uncharacteristically at a loss for words, but has been repeating that score to anyone who would listen since then. A good time was had by all at this worthy cause. |
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| Commonwealth's Attorney Announces New Personnel | ||||||||
Lexington, KY. Briana Gaylord has been appointed Victims' Advocate for the Office of the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney. She was born in Youngstown, Ohio, and moved to Lexington. She was educated in Lexington, and graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in Child and Family studies with a minor in psychology. Briana has a background which includes serving as a youth counselor for The United Methodist Home for Children and Youth, Social Service Coordinator at the Manchester Center, and Resident Program Coordinator for the Lexington Housing Authority. As a Victims' Advocate, she will deal with victims of crimes which are prosecuted by the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney. She will focus on assault, burglary and juvenile victims.
Kim Bargo has been appointed paralegal for the Office of the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney. She is a native of Corbin, Kentucky. She is a 2001 graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a degree in psychology and a minor in criminal justice. She is assigned to the "Cease-Fire" Project. In that capacity she will assist in the coordination of the gun violence reduction initiative of the Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney's Office. |
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| Rachelle
Williams Appointed As New Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Larson recently appointed Rachelle Williams, from Frankfort, Kentucky, as an Assistant Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney. |
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Lexington, KY. Ray Larson recently appointed Rachelle C. Williams as an Assistant Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney. Rachelle is from Frankfort, Kentucky. She received a Bachelor's of Arts degree in English from Transylvania University, and her law degree from the University of Kentucky. Her focus is on the investigation and prosecution of crimes involving firearms.
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| Prosecutors
Balance Career And Family Through Job-Sharing Assistant Commonwealth's Attorneys Amanda Naish and Traci Caneer have found that job-sharing is a great solution to helping deal with the demands a "working mother" faces. |
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Lexington, KY. The issue of working mothers and their struggle to balance a career and family is not a new problem. However, the Fayette County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office has established a solution to the dilemma. Beginning in June, two of the Assistant Commonwealth's Attorneys merged their two positions into one full-time position and began to job-share. Many corporations have utilized this method to allow mothers to have a family without sacrificing their careers. But, this is a new idea at the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. Amanda Naish and Traci Caneer have both been with the Fayette County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for over four years. While they both thoroughly enjoy their work, they struggled to manage a full-time caseload with trials that often go late into the evening with the demands of their families at home. Through their job-share, they each work three days a week and overlap one of those days to coordinate their cases. This enables them to manage both work and their family life more efficiently. The office has the additional benefit of opening up a position that has meant being able to bring a new prosecutor on board. Job-sharing has been a great solution for both of these working mothers and the office. With a little flexibility, the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office has proven that a "working mother" can be a happy reality. |
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| White
Castle On New Circle Road Was The Site Of Long-time Prosecutor Joe
Bouvier's 50th Birthday Celebration "Slyders for everyone" was the order of the day at the festive occasion. |
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Lexington, KY. Family, friends, co-workers and former co-workers all assembled at the White Castle, favorite restaurant of Joe Bouvier, for a surprise 50th birthday party last week. The White Castle staff were good sports as the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office descended for this lunchtime extravaganza. Even the regular customers got into the spirit. Joe and his entourage will be featured in the next White Castle newsletter. Happy Birthday, Joe! |
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| 2001
Summer Prosecution Internship Class Completes Intensive Introduction To
Criminal Justice System 3rd annual summer internship class made up of students from schools around the Eastern United States. Class gets an insider's view of the criminal justice system. |
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Lexington, KY. The Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Summer Internship Program exposes law students to the workings of the criminal justice system through work on pending criminal cases. Interns participate with felony prosecutors throughout every stage of a criminal case, from interviewing witnesses, conducting legal research, drafting motions and responses, and evaluating evidence to discussing trial strategy and assisting at trial. In addition, the summer program affords interns the opportunity to tour and observe various sites and activities integral to trying criminal cases, and to participate in various workshops focusing on specific topics and elements of the criminal justice system. |
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| Attorneys
And Staff Study Hispanic Language And Culture Senor Carlos Rangel has been teaching Spanish classes to the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office for the past several months. |
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Commonwealth's Attorney's Office Conducts In-House Spanish Classes Lexington, KY. It is no secret that Lexington is experiencing a dramatic rise in its Hispanic population. There are significant numbers of people from Central and South America who come to the Bluegrass to work on the horse farms and in the tobacco fields; however, it is an unfortunate reality that the criminal justice system is dealing with an increasing number of victims, witnesses, and defendants who speak little or no English. The response from law enforcement officials has included sending police officers and prosecutors to Mexico for immersion into Hispanic culture, seminars from leaders in the Hispanic community, and Spanish language lessons.
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| Commonwealth's
Attorney's Office Wins Recognition For Fourth Straight Year For the fourth year in a row, the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office wins "Best of Show" in American Cancer Society Relay For Life fundraiser. |
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Lexington, KY. Torrential thunderstorms drenched the track and field at Henry Clay High School in Lexington on Friday night and Saturday, May 18th and 19th, 2001, but couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the two teams from the Office of the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney who participated in the annual American Cancer Society Relay For Life. The teams kept at least one member walking on the track for 24 hours in order to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer.
The Relay For Life also includes an annual campsite competition, which is judged for originality and humor. This year the teams assembled a track and performed a "Race for the Cure," complete with colorful jockeys, original commentary, rowdy infielders, Millionaires' Row, and a traditional song and dance routine. The Commonwealth's Attorney's Office earned "Best of Show" honors for their efforts, which marks their fourth consecutive top award in the Relay.
The greatest reward for the teams, said one team member, was "raising over $5,000 for a good cause, while celebrating with our community, honoring cancer survivors and remembering the loved ones lost to this disease." |
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| FROM
THE SPORTS DESK OF LEXINGTONPROSECUTOR.COM: Commonwealth's Attorney's Office Softball Team Defeats Legal Aid Team In Barnburner 16-15. Law Dawgs extend their winning streak to 4 straight to guarantee first winning season in the team's history. |
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The Dawgs began the game on a strong note, scoring four runs in the first inning and holding FCLA scoreless with an unassisted infield double play. The lead was extended to seven runs by another solid rally in the second inning, but FCLA responded with an impressive batting display of their own and was leading the game by four runs as time began running short in the fourth inning. The Law Dawgs closed the gap and the last inning saw the teams tied at 15 runs each. The Dawgs scored a single run, which proved to be enough for the win as they held FCLA scoreless in the final stanza. The victory by the police and prosecutors of the Law Dawgs guarantees them their first winning season in the team’s history. It also marks a momentum swing away from FCLA, who won most of the early games in the rivalry, toward the Dawgs, who have emerged victorious in two of the last three tilts between the teams. The season continues when the Law Dawgs take the field against Morgan Keegan next Wednesday night. |
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| FROM
THE SPORTS DESK OF LEXINGTONPROSECUTOR.COM: Commonwealth's Attorney's Office softball team - The Law Dawgs - evens record in young season. |
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| Lexington, KY.
After a disappointing 10-5 loss in the season opener, the Law
Dawgs evened their record at 1-1 with a convincing 12-6 win over the
Mustangs on April 25th at Southland Park. The police and prosecutors
of the Law Dawgs put forth a solid defensive effort, which included an
infield double play, in addition to an explosive offensive display of
precision hitting and aggressive base running.
The season continues on Wednesday nights, and the Law Dawgs are in intense preparation for the annual clash with the current and former public defenders of Fayette County Legal Aid, which is set for May 16th at 6:30 p.m. |
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| Larson's Office Targets Repeat
Offenders Prosecutor pleased with 98% conviction rate. |
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Lexington, KY. Report
of Repeat Offender Prosecutor-Enforcement charged in 2000:
76% of the convicted repeat offenders were sent to prison. |
| Ray Larson Sworn In
For 3rd Term As Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney Larson and 15 assistants bring 125 years of prosecution experience to Lexington's top prosecutor's office. |
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Lexington, KY. Fayette Circuit Judge Lewis Paisley administered the oath of office to Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Ray Larson and his staff on New Years Day. Larson became Lexington’s top prosecutor on January 2, 1985 after his predecessor, Larry Roberts, resigned to enter the private practice of law. The Commonwealth’s Attorney and his staff of 15 men and women who serve as assistants prosecutors are responsible for the prosecution of all felony crimes which occur in Lexington. |
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| Lou Anna Red Corn -- Commonwealth's Attorney's Office "Employee Of The Year" | ||
 Lexington, KY. At the end of each
year, Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Larson announces the "Employee of the
Year" for the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney. The recipient for 2000 was
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Lou Anna
Red Corn. In making the announcement, Larson praised Ms. Red Corn for her outstanding trial skills, tremendous courage, and significant involvement in community activities. "Lou Anna has been an outstanding role model for so many young lawyers in our office," said Larson. "She has developed our training program and serves as a mentor for new assistants. She is a wonderful person and a spectacular lawyer."
Lou Anna makes an occasional appearance in local elementary school classrooms to share her heritage with the students. For some children, she may be the first Native American they have ever met. Dressed in her tribe's ceremonial clothing, she talks to the children about Osage history and tradition, then ends the presentation by dressing a boy and girl in traditional ceremonial clothing. Lou Anna also makes sure that her own children, ages 13 and 4, know their heritage. Each year the family travels to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, the site of the Osage Nation's Annual Ceremonial Dances. Says Lou Anna, "It's so good to see my son dancing with his people, I hope he feels like he is really part of something special." |
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| Larson Credits
Investigative Teamwork With Improving Conviction Rates In Child Sexual Abuse Cases Sharing information by all agencies which deal with children improves cases. |
| Lexington, KY. Cases
involving the sexual abuse of children are always the most difficult, according to Fayette
Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Larson. "In the mid-to-late 1980's we were lucky to
obtain a conviction in half of those cases," he said. That all changed in 1990. It was then that the Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) for cases involving the sexual abuse of children was created. "The idea was to bring together all of the agencies which deal with children and ask them to share information and suggestions on how best to proceed with a case," Larson said. Since the Team began, the number of cases prosecuted has increased as had the conviction rate. According to Larson, "our conviction rates in these difficult cases has increased from under 50% before the MDT began, to over 94% now." The MDT meets weekly and reviews all reported cases of child sexual abuse. It's membership consists of representatives from the offices of the Commonwealth's Attorney, County Attorney, Lexington Division of Police, Cabinet for Families & Children, medical and school personnel. |
Lexington, KY. Throughout
2000, the Children's Advocacy Center of the
Bluegrass has significantly advanced its
mission to lessen the trauma experienced by a child victim of sexual abuse as their case
moves through the criminal justice system by concentrating on these areas:
The 2,400 square foot facility located at 183 Walton Avenue is home to the Children's Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass, Inc. The Center recently underwent a major renovation, making it more comfortable for children and their caregivers. New decor and child friendly colors were used to create a child-friendly setting. Telemedicine, Training and Education The organization continues to be the fiscal agent for a multi-faceted Child Advocacy Project, which provides a telemedicine link for physicians and mental health providers in the Eastern Kentucky region. Through the use of technology, the project trains and educates physicians, mental health providers and other professionals in rural communities about child sexual abuse. This innovative project has been very successful and is being replicated on a state level. The Child Advocacy Project is funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission. Maintaining Collaborations Through the implementation of services and in cooperation with partners such as the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office, Crimes Against Children Unit, Community Based Services, Fayette County Public Schools, Spouse Abuse Center, Rape Crisis Center and many others, the Children's Advocacy Center continues to be a success and looks forward to the future, maintaining this path forward, building upon these collaborations. |
| Lexington, KY. Ray
Larson, Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney, has recently appointed two Crime Victims'
Advocates. "Kathryn High and Robin Gridley both bring outstanding credentials
to this very important job within the criminal justice system," said Larson.
"In addition, they are both caring individuals who will bring great empathy for
victims of crime to the job." "Our Crime Victims' Assistance Division has been in operation for 16 years and been nationally recognized as one of the top three victim service organizations in America. Kathy and Robin will continue in that tradition. We are pleased that they have joined our prosecution team." "Let me introduce:"
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| Senior Protection Project Member Volunteers At Sheriff's Office | ||
Lexington, KY. The Senior Protection Project has not only helped with communication but recruitment as well. At the May 10, 2000 meeting, member Agatha Parks told that group she was looking to volunteer within the community. Sheriff Kathy Witt immediately took interest in Mrs. Parks. We are happy to report that since our May meeting Mrs. Parks has been volunteering at the Fayette County Sheriff's Department. Mrs. Parks volunteers three days a week. She has been working on old files and often types warrants. When asked how she likes it, she replied, "Oh, I love it, just love it!" Mrs. Parks worked for 40 years at the University of Kentucky, retiring in 1987. She worked for 20 of those years as secretary for Dr. A.D. Albright. She worked five years in administration and worked the last 15 years at the Chandler Medical Center. In the 80's, she was certified as a Professional Secretary. Mrs. Parks is an active member of SPP, AARP, TRIAD, and Professional Secretaries International. She is a former member of Epworth United Methodist Church and currently is a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church. Born and raised in Fayette County, she has 5 children, 12 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. |
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| Larson Appoints 3 New Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys |
| Lexington, KY. Ray Larson, Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney,
has appointed 3 new assistant prosecuting attorneys. Named as Assistant Fayette
Commonwealth's Attorneys were Jason Rothrock, Shawna Virgin, and La Tasha
Buckner. "Our office takes great pride in the people who represent our community in the prosecution of people who choose to violate our laws," said Larson. "Jason, Shawna and La Tasha are not only outstanding young lawyers, but possess the personal qualities that the citizens of Lexington have come to expect from its public servants," he said. "I am proud that these young people have chosen to join us, as we do what we can to hold people accountable when they violate our laws. We have high expectations of them," he said. "Let me introduce:"
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| New Elder-Abuse Task Force To Investigate Crimes Against Elderly In Fayette County |
 Lexington, KY. After nearly a year in the planning, The Elder-Abuse
Task Force held its first meeting Tuesday, June 13, 2000, at the Office of the Fayette
Commonwealth’s Attorney. This multi-disciplinary team brings together all of the agencies in Lexington which are responsible for the protection of senior citizens and the investigation of allegations of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation of them. The purpose of the group is to meet and share information about those cases in order to improve the investigation and prosecution of elder-crime . The multi-disciplinary approach is designed to improve communication and cooperation between the agencies who work to protect the elderly victims of crime and to help prevent future crime against the elderly Each agency has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to insure confidentiality of its information. The Agencies participating on the Elder-Abuse Task Force include:
The task force plans to begin its review |
Carlos
Rangel became an American citizen in 1978; he holds an MBA degree
from Xavier University and is the president of RangeLearn, a
Spanish-English translation service. He coordinated and supervised
sales and manufacturing operations for IBM in Mexico, Colombia,
and Brazil. Senor Rangel founded the Latin American Club in
Lexington and has taught Spanish classes for numerous groups in
the community, including the Lexington Police Academy, the YMCA,
and the Shriner's Children’s Hospital.
Mr. Carlos Rangel has been teaching
Spanish classes at the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for several
months. The course began with very basic vocabulary and progressed into
material that is particularly useful for prosecutors - everything from
giving directions to the courthouse to describing how a case goes through
the American legal system. The class, which includes 8 to 12 members of
the office, recently took its first field trip to Jalapeno’s Restaurant
for lunch, where their aptitude was tested by conversing only "en
Espanol." The hard work done by the class was matched, if not
exceeded, by the patience of the staff at Jalapeno’s, but at the end of
the meal the students were well-fed and ready to continue their studies.
Lou Anna Red Corn was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is
a member of the Osage Indian Tribe. She attended the University of Kentucky and earned a
Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, as well as a law degree from the University of
Kentucky College of Law. She has been a prosecutor for 12 years and has become an expert
in the investigation and prosecution of the sexual abuse of children.
Child-Friendly Facility
Kathryn High
Kathryn
High was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. She attended the University of Tennessee in
Knoxville and graduated with a BA in Human Services. After eight years of working
with "at risk" students in the public school system, Kathryn is now a Crime
Victims' Advocate, working primarily on cases involving child victims. She is also
working on her Masters Degree in Social Work at the University of Kentucky.
Robin
Gridley is from Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University
with a Bachelor of Science in Family Studies, with a minor in Psychology. Robin
joined the staff of the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office in October, 2000, as a
Crime Victims' Advocate, specializing in working cases that involve youthful
offenders. She serves as the liaison between this office and the Crime Victim's
Compensation Board.
