The Boyle County Attorney’s Office has received funding from the Prosecutors Advisory Council (PAC) to add a second Assistant County Attorney position to the County Attorney’s Office.

County Attorney Chris Herron, recently petitioned the Prosecutors Advisory Council (PAC) to create and fund a second permanent assistant county attorney position. “We found out May 20, 2022 that our request was granted,” said Herron who added, “This is a permanent position funded by PAC that adds additional staffing resources to our already busy case load.”

“Sarah Bryant has been hired to fill the new position. Bryant is currently employed with the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) as legal counsel.  Prior to this, she worked for 14 years in the Department of Public Advocacy,” said Herron.

Sarah will join the office as an Assistant County Attorney beginning June 16 and will primarily focus on handling the prosecution of criminal actions along with her counterpart, Patrick Barsotti, who has been the sole assistant for nearly four years.

According to the Kentucky County Attorney’s Association, county attorneys have prosecutorial jurisdiction over juvenile issues, which include criminal acts, dependency, neglect, and abuse. They also work with judges to issue emergency protective orders in domestic violence cases, handle extraditions, and oversee mental commitments and disability cases. In addition, KRS dictates that the county attorney shall attend the fiscal court and conduct all business touching the rights or interests of the county, and when so directed by the fiscal court, the county attorney shall institute, defend, and conduct all civil actions in which the county is interested before any of the courts of the Commonwealth.