Criminal Division
FACE COVERING POLICY: All visitors of the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office (JCAO), regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a face covering and observe physical distancing protocols at all times. If a visitor does not have a face covering upon arrival, the JCAO will provide a face covering to the individual. If a visitor chooses not to wear a face covering then they will not be permitted to the enter the JCAO location.
The attorneys of the Criminal Division of the Jefferson County Attorney's Office handle cases that range from traffic ciations to felony crimes at their earliest stages in the Jefferson County District Court.
District Court, held in the Hall of Justice at 600 W. Jefferson Street in downtown Louisville, operates in 10 courtrooms, hearing cases according to alphabetical listing of defendants’ last names.
Assistant County Attorneys in these courtrooms prosecute a variety of charges, including in the areas of drunk driving, domestic violence, traffic, shoplifting, burglary, robbery, assault, drugs and gun crimes.
The court has the authority to negotiate and resolve all misdemeanor offenses. If the cases cannot be resolved, they are passed for a bench or jury trial.
A felony charge cannot be resolved in District Court unless it is amended down to a misdemeanor or referred to Rocket Docket for review.
The defendant can waive a felony charge to the grand jury or the court conducts a preliminary hearing to determine probable cause that the crime was committed by the defendant.
Our criminal team has two specialty units to handle Drunk Driving and Domestic Violence cases.
Our DUI Unit prosecutors and victim advocates specialize only in handling cases of impaired driving.
The Domestic Violence Unit prosecutors and victim advocates are dedicated to handling all violence cases involving spouses, significant others or family members. Two detectives work in this unit to assist in the preparation of cases.
In addition to adult criminal cases, the county attorney’s office is also responsible for the prosecution in Jefferson County’s juvenile court, following cases from arraignment through sentencing. Proceedings in Juvenile Courts in Kentucky are closed to the public.
