Christopher L. Kelley recently announced his candidacy for United States Attorney for the 19th Judicial District.
The 19th Judicial District includes Bracken, Fleming and Mason counties.
According to Kelley, he officially filed his candidacy with the Secretary of State in Frankfort on Tuesday, August 13.
Kelley is a Carlisle native and has lived in Mason County for nearly two decades, he said.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Georgetown College and his juris doctorate from Salmon P. Chase College of Law. Kelley received his English degree in 2001 and his juris doctorate in 2004.
According to Kelley, he began his legal career in 2005 as an attorney at the Maysville office of the Department of Public Advocacy.
In 2007, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in the office of John Estill, where he prosecuted criminal cases in Mason County District Court.
Since 2013, Kelley has served as First Assistant United States Attorney for the 19th Judicial District.
According to Kelley, he has been lead counsel in over 2,000 criminal cases and investigations.
He has handled all “facets” of these cases, including conducting grand jury proceedings, pre-trial motions and hearings, jury trials, and post-conviction motions and hearings.
According to Kelley, he has been involved in over 60 jury trials and served as lead counsel in the majority of those trials in the 19th Judicial Circuit.
In his 17 years as a prosecutor, Kelley has worked closely with law enforcement and victims to ensure they are represented in the courtroom and will continue to do so if elected district attorney for the 19th Judicial District, he said.
Kelley says he is very pleased to have filed to run for district attorney for the 19th Judicial District.
“I have spent my entire career serving the Criminal Justice Center and crime victims in Bracken, Fleming and Mason counties,” Kelley said. “I look forward to running for Commonwealth Attorney and having the opportunity to meet more people during the election while continuing my duties as a prosecutor.”
Kelley noted that he was especially pleased to be involved in a campaign that gave him the opportunity to speak to the public about the criminal justice system.
He briefly offered advice to anyone who might be interested in a career in law.
According to Kelley, finding a mentor in the field who you can trust to guide you in the best direction is a crucial step in starting a legal career.
Kelley will run for district attorney for the 19th Judicial District in November.
