Commonwealth's Attorney
Encyclopedia
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 which includes a Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, Deputy Commonwealth's Attorneys and Assistant Commonwealth's Attorneys.
A Commonwealth's Attorney is a constitutional officer, which means that the job is established in the state Constitution which defines the position, the broad powers of the elected officeholder and in Virginia, the requirement that every county and every city be served by a Commonwealth's Attorney. Cities in Virginia are independent jurisdictions and not part of any county.
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
.
Prosecutor
The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the common law adversarial system, or the civil law inquisitorial system...
of felony
Felony
A felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
crimes in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Other states refer to similar prosecutors as District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
or State's Attorney
State's Attorney
In the United States, the State's Attorney is, most commonly, an elected official who represents the State in criminal prosecutions and is often the chief law enforcement officer of their respective county, circuit...
.
A Commonwealth's Attorney is the highest law enforcement official in his or her jurisdiction and in many jurisdictions supervises a staff which includes a Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney, Deputy Commonwealth's Attorneys and Assistant Commonwealth's Attorneys.
A Commonwealth's Attorney is a constitutional officer, which means that the job is established in the state Constitution which defines the position, the broad powers of the elected officeholder and in Virginia, the requirement that every county and every city be served by a Commonwealth's Attorney. Cities in Virginia are independent jurisdictions and not part of any county.
The role of Commonwealth's Attorneys, District Attorneys, and State's Attorneys should not be confused with the role of a County Attorney
County attorney
A county attorney in many areas of the United States is the chief legal officer for a county or local judicial district. It is usually an elected position...
or City Attorney
City attorney
A city attorney can be an elected or appointed position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the city or municipality....
whose authority is usually limited by individual state constitutions to non-felony infractions or misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
cases.
Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
derived the title of the office from Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, 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
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
.