Saturday February 8, 2025
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Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell is adding to his senior leadership team with the retirement of the office’s First Assistant, Matthew Golden, on October 1. Eric Graninger replaces Golden in the office’s highest appointed position.

Graninger has been an Assistant County Attorney since 2009 and his primary practice was in the office’s Employment and Labor section. Most recently he served as Civil Division Director, responsible for overseeing the office’s duties as the legal representative for all of Louisville Metro Government. He spent 18 years with the national office of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), where he rose to be their general counsel, prior to joining the County Attorney’s office.

“There is no one that I know more worthy than Eric Graninger to take on this critical role,” O’Connell said. “Matt and Eric have worked closely over the past years and have been working toward a smooth transition to best serve the people of Jefferson County.”

Earlier in his career, Graninger served as a staff attorney for the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, as a law clerk to the late Judge Hugh Dillin of the Federal District Court, and was Editor in Chief of his law review at Indiana University in Indianapolis.

In a corresponding move, Sarah Martin has been promoted to Civil Division Director as Graninger assumes the role of First Assistant. Martin became an Assistant County Attorney in 2008 and has served as the office’s lead lawyer for matters related to the Metro Council since 2016. Her previous service with the office includes leadership roles with the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission, the Jefferson County Board of Elections and as a trial court prosecutor. Martin served in private practice prior to becoming an Assistant County Attorney and is a graduate of the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law and Miami of Ohio University.

Martin joins Ingrid Geiser (Criminal Division Director) and Diane Fleming (Child Support Division Director) in leading the office’s three respective divisions. Both Geiser and Fleming have more than 20 years’ experience each as lawyers for the Commonwealth. LeeAnn Swanson serves as the office’s Chief Financial Officer.

Josh Abner has been named Executive Administrator. Abner, the office’s Communications Director since 2016, will retain his role as the office’s public information officer and take on additional duties as an adviser in policy development and intergovernmental relations.

“These are challenging times as we face uncertain state and local budgets but we must stay true to our duties to represent the Commonwealth of Kentucky and Louisville Metro Government,” O’Connell said. “I am confident that we have the right team in place to continue to do the next right thing on behalf of people in Jefferson County. I thank Matt Golden for his immeasurable contributions to this office and to our community.”

Golden leaves the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office after first starting as an entry-level law clerk in 1995. He held nearly every role possible during his time with the office, serving as a trial court prosecutor, a DUI prosecutor, head of vice prosecution, civil litigation defense attorney, Tax Director, Civil Division Director and Second Assistant. He rose to the top position earlier this year following the death of his mentor Julie Hardesty, the office’s longtime First Assistant who had held the role since 2001. Golden moves into private practice as a partner with Daniels Associates LLP.

The Jefferson County Attorney’s Office is one of the largest legal offices in the Commonwealth of Kentucky with more than 330 employees, including approximately 130 attorneys.

Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell announced a new policy objective Wednesday to generally not prosecute possession of marijuana (“POM”) cases involving one ounce of marijuana or less when the possession charge is the only charge or the most serious charge against the individual.

“A prosecutor has the responsibility of a minister of justice and not simply that of an advocate,” O’Connell said, quoting the commentary on Rule 3.8 from The American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct and, its counterpart, the Kentucky Bar Association’s Rules of Professional Conduct. “As your County Attorney, I take that admonition seriously and that is why I must now act in regard to possession of marijuana cases.”

O’Connell cited the need for fair and equal enforcement of the laws and finding the best use of his office’s limited resources in exercising his discretion as a prosecutor.

“We will now devote even more time and attention to the serious, and potentially deadly, crimes involving guns, domestic violence and DUI,” O’Connell said.

A 2013 study found that black and white Americans use marijuana at the same rates, but black people are nearly four times more likely to be arrested for POM than whites. Earlier this year, The Courier Journal analyzed Louisville Metro Police Department data from 2010 to 2017 and determined that similar or worse disparities occurred locally when marijuana was the most serious charge cited.

“Its origin is likely not intentional or malicious, but that does not change the end result,” O’Connell said. “For me to truly be a minister of justice, I cannot sit idly by when communities of color are treated differently.”

O’Connell also highlighted KRS 218A.276, a state statute last amended in 2012, that allows an individual to have POM charges completely voided from their record—at potential no cost to the defendant—after 60 days.

“No one should see their future diminished over a charge like this, especially when there are available legal tools to wipe this from a person’s criminal history,” O’Connell said.

O’Connell researched different approaches that communities across the nation have taken with POM cases and developed his plan in recent months. In addition to charges involving possession of marijuana (KRS 218A.1422), the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office will also no longer prosecute illegal possession of drug paraphernalia (KRS 218A.500) in the following limited circumstance: when the item possessed is clearly only used for the inhalation/ingestion of marijuana.

The new objective does not apply to persons under the age of 21, and does not include cases involving any indicators of trafficking in marijuana; cultivating marijuana; driving while under the influence of marijuana; public display, use, or consumption of marijuana; or public intoxication as a result of marijuana.

Joining O’Connell for the announcement were leaders from the Kentucky’s social and racial justice community, including Raoul Cunningham of the NAACP, Sadiqa Reynolds of the Louisville Urban League, Michael Aldridge of the ACLU of Kentucky and Reverend Charles Elliott Jr. of King Solomon Missionary Baptist Church.

“These disparities and effects are not the problem of any one part of government, any one profession or any one people,” O’Connell said. “This is a problem that belongs to us all. In my role as Jefferson County Attorney, I can do more to develop reforms that avoid needlessly bringing people into the justice system. I choose to act.”

Domestic violence victims at the greatest risk of lethal assault will continue to have an outlet for help, thanks to Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell and $152,450 in federal grant money.

This is the second year Jefferson County has received increased funds from the national Victim of Crimes Act (VOCA) after years of receiving approximately $50,000 annually. Previous funds paid for one victim advocate position and support services. O’Connell pushed for last year’s three-fold increase and hired two new positions with the additional funds, including one victim advocate whose sole focus is victims at a high risk of lethality.

“This second straight award of increased funding demonstrates the expertise and support we provide to victims of domestic violence,” said Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell. “The continuation of these additional federal dollars cements my office’s commitment to domestic violence victims at the greatest risk of deadly abuse,” said Jefferson County Mike O’Connell.

The victim advocates work out of the Domestic Violence Intake Center (DVIC) at the Hall of Justice. Opened in April 2001, the DVIC was the result of local criminal justice and community partners’ commitment to supporting victims seeking legal action. Founding partners included the Jefferson County Attorney’s office, the office of the Circuit Court Clerk (OCCC), LMPD, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office, the Center for Women and Families and the National Council for Jewish Women, among others.

In 2009, O’Connell’s first full year in office, the DVIC was relocated to an expanded space of approximately 2,500 square feet. Prior to expansion, only victims seeking both an emergency protective order (EPO) and criminal complaint received services in the DVIC. After expansion, EPO clerks from the OCCC moved all functions permanently to the DVIC.

Now, all domestic violence victims seeking any type of offered legal service are directly assisted in the DVIC. The Jefferson County Attorney’s office provides victim advocates to meet with all victims 96 hours each week, from 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. each week day and 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on weekends. Combining all services in one centralized location has resulted in significant increases in clients obtaining needed advocacy services.

O’Connell operates two specialty units for criminal prosecution: domestic violence and DUI. Since 2014, the DV unit has prosecuted nearly 12,000 domestic violence and sexual assault cases, earning a 90.7 percent conviction rate. Nearly 40 members of O’Connell’s staff are involved with domestic violence cases on a daily basis.

The Center for Women and Families honored O’Connell with its Public Service Award last October. O’Connell joined a list of notable recipients of the award, including Jerry Abramson, David Armstrong, Judi Patton, Anne Northrup and John Yarmuth, that was first given in 1991.

Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell received The Center for Women and Families’ Public Service Award during the nonprofit’s annual report to the community Wednesday evening.

The award, presented by Kentuckiana’s domestic violence and rape crisis center, recognizes a public figure who has gone above and beyond to aid The Center’s mission.

“This is a real honor for me,” O’Connell said.

The award was first given in 1991 to Mary O’Doherty of The Courier-Journal. Since then, notable individuals receiving the award include Jerry Abramson, David Armstrong, Judi Patton, Anne Northrup and John Yarmuth.

O’Connell’s office has committed resources for a dedicated unit for domestic violence cases and was a founding partner in the city’s 24-hour Domestic Violence Intake Center (DVIC). In 2016, the office prosecuted nearly 4,000 cases domestic violence and sexual assault cases and earned more than a 90 percent conviction rate.

O’Connell also helped secure $150,000 in federal funding for staffing and support of the DVIC in 2016, three times as much federal funding as the DVIC had ever received in a single year.

Mike O’Connell was named Outstanding County Attorney of the Year at the Kentucky Prosecutors Conference Thursday afternoon at the Hyatt Regency in Lexington.

The award, presented by the office of the Attorney General to only two of the Commonwealth’s 120 county attorneys each year, comes as part of the annual gathering for the state’s prosecutors for training in the aid of their public service. Bobbi Jo Lewis, the Anderson County Attorney since 2003, was also honored this year.

“I am humbled that my peers serving as county attorneys across the state feel that the good work we do in Jefferson County should be recognized,” O’Connell said. “This award belongs to the people of this community and to the assistants and staff in my office who pursue justice every day.”

A lifelong Louisvillian, Mike O’Connell graduated from St. Xavier High School and and later Xavier University in Cincinnati. He obtained his law degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1974 and became a civil trial attorney, as well as an assistant Jefferson County Attorney.

In 1980, he was appointed and twice elected to the Jefferson District Court Bench where he served until 1987, at which time he was appointed and then elected to the Jefferson Circuit Court.

In 2008, O’Connell was appointed Jefferson County Attorney. He was elected in 2010, re-elected in 2014 and will run for re-election again next year.

During his time as Jefferson County Attorney, he has introduced restorative justice practices in juvenile court and started a pilot project for restorative justice in the adult division of Jefferson District Court. He actively worked for passage of a Senate Bill 40 in 2016 that established a pilot project for opening Family Courts in the state.

Under his leadership, his office continues to be on the forefront of prosecutions in the areas of drunk driving and domestic violence—operating specialty units in those areas and a 24-hour Domestic Violence Intake Center. In addition to its work as prosecutors in Jefferson District Court, the Jefferson County Attorney’s office also serves as the legal representative for Louisville Metro Government and helps to collect more than $65 million each year in child support for families in Jefferson County.

O’Connell is heavily involved in efforts in addressing the role addiction plays in our legal system. His office has been instrumental in forming and supporting the Jefferson County’s Drug Treatment and Veterans’ Treatment Courts, and he has supported the use of Casey’s Law in Kentucky, which allows parents, spouses and others to seek the court’s assistance to order their loved one into treatment for drugs or alcohol.

Mike is a past board member of the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission, the Little Sisters of the Poor, Beacon House, Catholic Charities and Jefferson County Juvenile Justice Commission.

Mike and his wife Ellen celebrated their 46th wedding anniversary in June.  They have three children, Annie, Michael and Matt, and two grandchildren, Emily and Drew.

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