Effective Saturday Fayette County has a new Commonwealth’s Attorney. Governor Andy Beshear appointed Kimberly Baird to the position. Baird replaces Lou Anna Red Corn, who’s retiring.
Baird started as an intern at the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office in 1996 and has been serving as First Assistant since 2016.
In an interview with WEKU, Baird said she plans to focus her attention on community engagement in her new role.
“We’ve got such an uptick in crime right now, such an uptick in the young people who are coming into the system. And we have a lot of great programs that are happening to deal with people, to deal with these young ones once they get into the system. I’m hoping to kind of divert them before I even see them,” said Baird.
Baird said the young people she interacts with through the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office are accused of serious felonies like murder and robbery. Baird said she hopes solutions can be reached through partnerships with schools and neighborhood associations.
“Because the school system sees, you know, has opportunities and sees who needs to be addressed. These neighborhood associations know who’s in the neighborhood and who needs to be addressed,” said Baird.
Baird said she hopes providing those populations with more community support and services will deter them from engaging in criminal activity.
Kimberly Baird is a graduate of Lafayette High School and received her law degree from the University of Kentucky. She is the first black woman to serve as a Commonwealth’s Attorney in Kentucky.
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