Victims – Fayette County Attorney's Office

Victim Services

The goal of the Fayette County Attorney’s Office is to support and aid victims of crimes as they navigate through the criminal justice process. Our prosecutors and victim advocates keep victims informed of the status of criminal proceedings, assist victims in obtaining restitution, and provide information regarding additional community resources that are available to victims.

Stay Notified!

Do you want updated on your case and to offer input about what happens to the case?

Resources

Learn more about the community resources available to you free of charge.

Victim Rights / Marsys Law

Learn more about your rights as a victim and Marsy’s Law!

Protective Orders

Learn more about No Contact orders, Emergency Protection Orders (EPOs) and Domestic Violence Orders (DVOs).

FAQs

Click here for commonly asked questions about victim services and domestic violence.

Contact us!

Our prosecutors and advocates are here to help you, call us anytime.

If you are a victim of crime and want to be notified of court dates, plea bargains, and the defendant's bond/release from custody, follow these steps:

Do you want to be updated on what's happening in your case? Fill out this form and an advocate or prosecutor from our office will call you!

Do you want notifications about court dates for your case? Follow these steps!

To receive notifications of court dates:
1) go to www.vinelink.com
2) Choose “Kentucky”
3) Click “Find an Offender Court Case”
4) Enter the Defendant’s Name or the Case Number
5) Click the “VINE” button next to the defendant’s name
6) Click “Notify me of Changes”
7) Enter your phone number and/or email address
8) Click Continue
9) Click “Yes, Register”

The 2020 Kentucky Constitutional Amendment referred to as Marsy’s Law provides the following rights to you as a crime victim:

You have the right to be treated with fairness, respect, dignity, and to be protected from intimidation or harm throughout the criminal and juvenile justice process
You have the right, upon request, to be informed about victims’ rights, criminal proceedings, and if the accused is arrested, released, or escapes
You have the right to have your safety, dignity, and privacy to be considered
You have the right to be heard at bond, bail release, pleas, or sentencing
You have the right to proceedings free from unreasonable delay
You have the right to be present at criminal proceedings
You have the right to consult with prosecution
You have standing to assert your rights, have an attorney assert your rights, or request the Attorney for the Commonwealth assert your rights
You have the right to full restitution paid by the convicted

Learn more about Marsy's Law

Need Help?

FAQs

If you can't find the answer to your question, please call us.

Can I drop the charges?

I didn’t want the person arrested and charged with a crime, can I drop the charges? No, once the defendant is charged with a crime by a law enforcement officer, the victim can not drop the charges. Only a prosecutor, after a careful review of the case, can make the determination to dismiss a case. We certainly understand that there are many reasons why a victim may want a case dismissed, and our prosecutors will take the victim’s desired outcome into consideration when evaluating the case.

How can I change the no contact order to allow contact?

If the judge has ordered the defendant to have “no contact with the victim” but you want contact with the defendant while the case is pending, you need to contact the victim advocate or prosecutor assigned to the case.

What is the penalty range for the defendant?

That depends on if the defendant is charged with a class A misdemeanor (such as Assault 4th Degree) or a class B misdemeanor. A class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a $500 fine, 12 months in jail, or both. A class B misdemeanor is punishable by up to a $250 fine, 90 days incarceration, or both.

In every case, the prosecutor also has the discretion to recommend probation in lieu of incarceration.

How long will this case take to resolve?

If the prosecutor and the defendant’s attorney are able to reach a plea bargain, the case can be resolved quickly.

If the case can not be resolved and one side requests a trial by jury, the case could last for several months or longer. The COVID-19 pandemic is causing a large backlog and all cases are moving slower than normal.