We are committed to protecting the public's right to know by maintaining transparency with the media. 

We are equally committed to protecting the Constitutional rights of every individual accused of a crime. 

We are bound by law to protect the integrity of the criminal justice system. 
MEDIA CONTACT:
Melydia Clewell
melydia.clewell@hcdatn.org
423-991-6569
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​What we can discuss with the media depends upon the status of a case. 
Prosecutors have tremendous power and as a result are held to a higher ethical standard than most attorneys. We have special responsibilities not imposed upon other attorneys. 

Every potential criminal case starts with our review. When a law enforcement agency submits an investigation to the District Attorney's office or when an officer arrests someone for a crime, a prosecutor reviews the facts of the case. We evaluate whether enough evidence exists to file charges (or to support the charges originally brought by police.) We may decline to prosecute if further investigation is needed or if there is insufficient evidence to support a case. 

We cannot discuss any aspects of our review, any of the facts of the case, or any evidence. 
Once our review is finished, we can confirm charges have either been filed or that we have declined to prosecute the case. 

We cannot provide any background or "an explanation" for our decision. 
If we file charges, we can tell you the specific charge(s) a defendant will face. 

We cannot discuss any of the facts or evidence until a case is concluded. 
Basic information about the status of a case, such as what happened during a hearing (what is put on the record in open court) may be available from our office. 

However, the best source of information for tracking a case is the case file which can be reviewed in the court clerk's office. There, you can check to see if any new filings have been added to a case. Most documents in a case file are open records and they will typically provide far more detail than our office is permitted to release. 
“(T)he duty of a prosecuting attorney is not to persecute, but to prosecute, and that he should endeavor to protect the innocent as well as prosecute the guilty. He should always be interested in seeing that the truth and the right prevail.”
                                                                    –From Bailey v. Commonwealth, 193 Ky 687, 237 Sw. 415, 417 (1922)