Commonwealth's Attorney is the title given to the elected prosecutor of felony crimes 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 his or her 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.

[edit] External links

• Constitution of Virginia
• Kentucky Constitution

• Code of Virginia
• Kentucky Revised Statutes

• Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney, Louisville, Kentucky