Advertisement

Dycus Sworn In as Assistant U.S. Attorney

Dycus Sworn In as Assistant U.S. Attorney
Advertisement
By Mike Cooper, West Kentucky Star Staff
Oct. 09, 2018 | PADUCAH
By Mike Cooper, West Kentucky Star Staff Oct. 09, 2018 | 10:22 PM | PADUCAH
United States Attorney Russell Coleman announced Tuesday, the full-time addition of Leigh Ann Dycus as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Paducah field office and reaffirmed his commitment at the Purchase and Pennyrile Regions, through the Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. He presided over the swearing in of Dycus at the United States Courthouse, in downtown Paducah.

U.S. Attorney  Coleman stated, "'The Feds' are committed to being better partners to Purchase and Pennyrile area law enforcement in protecting Kentucky families." He also said, "the President has emphasized that there are no fly-over areas of our country, and this dedication of federal resources to Paducah demonstrates that every region of our Commonwealth matters."

Coleman also pointed out that while opioids are a major problem, it is more so in Jefferson County. He said that the other counties in the Western District see more of a problem with methamphetamine. He stressed that, "the gold standard is to deter criminal behavior, but once it occurs, we're there to punish, to remove those offenders from society, so they can't harm families." He also explained, "they have to work, not only with Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement, but also with mental health providers, educators, talking prevention, talking treatment, and we are just one part of that." An additional United States Attorney in this area, shows commitment to Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Dycus joins Assistant United States Attorney Seth Hancock, the Branch Manager of the Paducah office, and Assistant United States Attorney Madison Sewell, in prosecuting cases before United States District Judges, in United States District Courts, located in Paducah, Owensboro, and Bowling Green.

As an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney in McCracken County, Dycus specialized in violent sexual crimes, crimes against children, and drug prosecutions. She was named Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney of the year in 2018. Dycus has served in the United States Attorney's Office as a Special Assistant United States Attorney since May, 2018, prosecuting Federal drug and gun offenders.

McCracken County Commonwealth Attorney Dan Boaz said, "Leigh Ann joined our office as an intern, and later became a full-time prosecutor in 2014. During her time with us, she became one of the top prosecutors in the office, and could always be counted on to do the right thing, no matter how difficult that might be. While she is moving to the United States Attorney's Office, I don't feel like we're losing her, because we have a strong partnership with our local U.S. Attorney's Office. We work together to fight against violent crime and the massive influx of methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs coming into the community."

Justice Bill Cunningham, a former prosecutor who represents the Purchase region on the Kentucky Supreme Court added, "Way down here in the Purchase, we are often paranoid, thinking that the rest of the state forgets we exist, because of the distance involved. It is reassuring to have United States Attorney Russell Coleman to provide the extra prosecutor for us. And we are also grateful he picked a dandy in Leigh Ann Dycus."

Coleman stressed that Project Safe Neighborhoods is a commitment to aggressively reduce violent crime across the country, including all 53 counties in the Western District, through true partnerships with all levels of law enforcement. He pointed out that recently a number of indictments were announced in Mayfield, as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods program, in an effort to crack down against violent criminal activity in Graves County.

On the Net:

Related story on Project Safe Neighborhoods
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement


Latest McCracken County
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest McCracken County

Advertisement
ADVERTISEMENT