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15.760 Staff of Commonwealth's attorneys -- County's duty to provide grand jury and witness rooms -- Victim advocate.

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Page 1 of 2 15.760 Staff of Commonwealth's attorneys -- County's duty to provide grand jury and witness rooms -- Victim advocate. (1) Each Commonwealth's attorney shall, during the calendar year 1977 and through June 30, 1978, be entitled to at least the number of assistant Commonwealth's <br>attorney positions, stenographic, secretarial, and clerical staff positions, and <br>investigative and other personnel positions, which he had or was entitled to at the <br>number and salary level in effect on December 1, 1976. (2) The number of assistant Commonwealth's attorney positions, stenographic, secretarial, and clerical staff positions, and investigative and other personnel <br>positions, shall be based on real need to be determined with the advice and consent <br>of the Prosecutors Advisory Council. (3) All assistant Commonwealth's attorneys shall be licensed practicing attorneys. The full-time assistant Commonwealth's attorneys shall not be allowed to engage in the <br>private practice of law. (4) All salaries paid to personnel appointed hereunder shall be paid from the State Treasury. The salaries shall be commensurate with the appointee's education, <br>experience, training, and responsibility, and be based upon the guidelines <br>established by the Prosecutors Advisory Council, which guidelines shall be <br>comparable with the classification and compensation plan for comparable positions <br>maintained by the state Personnel Cabinet, pursuant to KRS 64.640. (5) The fiscal court, consolidated local government, or urban-county government in the county or counties that comprise the judicial circuit shall be responsible for <br>providing the office of the Commonwealth's attorney with an adequate grand jury <br>room and witness rooms. (6) (a) Each Commonwealth's attorney shall be authorized to employ individually or jointly with one (1) or more other Commonwealth's attorneys at least one (1) <br>victim advocate to counsel and assist crime victims as defined in KRS <br>421.500. (b) An individual employed as a victim advocate shall be a person who by a combination of education, professional qualification, training, and experience <br>is qualified to perform the duties of this position. The victim advocate shall be <br>an individual at least eighteen (18) years of age, of good moral character, with <br>at least two (2) years of experience working in the human services field or <br>court system in a position requiring professional contact with children or <br>adults, who has: <br>1. Received a baccalaureate degree in social work, sociology, psychology, <br>guidance and counseling, education, religion, criminal justice, or other <br>human service field; or 2. Received a high school diploma or equivalency certificate, and, in <br>addition to the experience required in this subsection, has at least four <br>(4) years' experience working in the human services field or court <br>system. Page 2 of 2 (c) Each Commonwealth's attorney who employs an individual to serve as a victim advocate shall develop a written job description which describes the <br>duties of the position and shall ensure the victim advocate completes training <br>relating to the appropriate intervention with crime victims, including victims <br>of domestic violence and victims of elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation or <br>other crimes against the elderly. Each victim advocate shall perform those <br>duties necessary to insure compliance with the crime victim's bill of rights <br>contained in KRS 421.500 to 421.530. No victim advocate shall engage in <br>political activities while in the course of performing his duties as victim <br>advocate or the practice of law as defined in KRS 524.130. The creation and <br>funding of any new personnel position shall be reviewed and approved by the <br>Prosecutors Advisory Council. Effective: June 20, 2005 <br>History: Amended 2005 Ky. Acts ch. 132, sec. 12, effective June 20, 2005. -- Amended 2002 Ky. Acts ch. 346, sec. 7, effective July 15, 2002. -- Amended 1998 Ky. Acts <br>ch. 154, sec. 6, effective July 15, 1998. -- Amended 1996 Ky. Acts ch. 189, sec. 1, <br>effective July 15, 1996. -- Amended 1994 Ky. Acts ch. 264, sec. 1, effective July 15, <br>1994. -- Created 1976 (1st Extra. Sess.) Ky. Acts ch. 17, sec. 13.