2025 CAA Speakers

Blake Chambers has served as Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 38th Judicial Circuit (Ohio, Butler, and Hancock counties) since 2017. A career prosecutor since 2011, he previously served as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and Assistant Warren County Attorney. He served as past President of the Commonwealth’s Attorneys Association for 2023-2024. Chambers lives in Morgantown, KY with his wife Jodi and their children. His passions include his three kids, his three dogs, and his three favorite constantly underachieving sports teams.

Ronnie Bowling is the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 34th Judicial Circuit of Kentucky (Whitley and McCreary counties). Prior to taking office, Ronnie was a partner at Butcher, Bowling & Dixon where he practiced personal injury, medical malpractice, and state and federal criminal defense.

Ronnie is a vocal supporter of capital punishment, having prosecuted eight (8) death penalty cases to verdict since 2019. Ronnie has testified before the Senate and House judiciary committees on the death penalty, in support of HB 248, Kimber’s Law, making the intentional killing of a child under 12 a death penalty eligible defense, and HB 5, the Safer Kentucky Act.

Everyone in Ronnie’s office hates trial prep and being within 5 square miles of him the week before a trial. A countless number of resignation letters have been penned and withdrawn amidst the ludicrous amount of requests Ronnie makes amidst trial preparation. Ronnie’s approach to trying a case is borderline insane and zero percent fun for all involved.

Ronnie currently serves as Vice President for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Association. Ronnie is a lifelong Corbin native, where he resides with his wife Sarah, their children Jack and Lucy, and three spoiled dogs. In his next to no free time, Ronnie is an avid hunter and fisherman, serves on the board of directors for the Corbin High School Redhound Varsity Club, and is co-owner of Carlson Gracie Corbin where he trains & teaches Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA.

Frank Patercity Directory of Corporate Security, Investigations & Organized Retail Crime at Kroger.

As Kroger’s Corporate Security Director, Frank leads a team of seasoned investigators across the country charged with disrupting & dismantling complex Organized Retail Crime (ORC) networks. In addition to his ORC duties, Frank is responsible for Kroger’s Threat Assessment & Management, Major Crimes, Active Assailant response and Protective Intelligence/Executive Protection functions.

Prior to joining Kroger, Frank spent time in a Global Security leadership role at Trane Technologies and worked in Protective Intelligence & Investigations at Wells Fargo.

With more than 20 years of security experience, Frank began his public safety career by serving as a United States Marine. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Frank joined the Raleigh Police Department, where he held multiple roles over more than a decade of service – Gang Suppression, Drugs & Vice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Task Force Officer, Field Operations leadership and Training Academy Commandant. Frank is a recipient of Raleigh Police Department’s Medal of Valor (2009) and Lifesaving Medal (2008).

Frank and his family live in the greater Cincinnati area. When he is not ferrying children between lacrosse practice or guitar lessons, he enjoys reading and attending live music events.

Leanne Beck works as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 54th Judicial Circuit. In 2024, she received the Outstanding Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney award from the Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Association. She specializes in the felony prosecution of personal crime cases including sexual assaults, criminal abuse, and homicides. She was born and raised in Northern Kentucky. Prior to working in Boone County, Leanne worked as a felony prosecutor in Kenton County, Kentucky.

Leanne is a member of the Northern Kentucky Children’s Advocacy multidisciplinary team and the NKY Violence Prevention Taskforce. She previously served as a board member for NorthKey Community Care. She has given presentations at the Kentucky Prosecutors Conference

Admitted to the Bar in 2006, Leanne is a member of the Kentucky and Northern Kentucky Bar Associations. She received her B.B.A from the University of Kentucky graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2003 and her J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law graduating with honors in 2006.

Sierra Merida is an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 54th Judicial Circuit. Sierra handles a variety of cases. She also serves as the Rocket Docket Coordinator for Boone and Gallatin Counties. In that role, she coordinates quick and treatment-centered resolutions for drug possession cases.

Prior to joining the Commonwealth’s Office, Sierra had spent five years as a trial attorney for the Department of Public Advocacy where she represented clients from Boone and Owen Counties in juvenile, district, and felony proceedings.

Admitted to the Kentucky Bar in 2014, Sierra is a member of the Kentucky and the Northern Kentucky Bar Associations. She received her B.A. from Berea College and her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati.

Rob Sanders has served as Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 16th Judicial Circuit of Kentucky (Kenton County) since 2007. Rob oversees Kentucky’s third largest felony prosecutor office while personally maintaining an active caseload. He previously served as Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in the same office from 1999-2000. Prior to election, Rob was a partner with his father, wife, and brother, in The Sanders Law Firm, PSC in Covington, Kentucky where he practiced personal injury, small business, domestic relations, and criminal defense law. From 2004-2006, Rob served as Vice-Mayor in the City of Covington after finishing first in a field of eight candidates for City Commission.

In 2023 Rob was elected by his fellow Commonwealth’s Attorneys to serve on the Prosecutors Advisory Council (PAC) and re-elected in 2024. Rob previously served on PAC, twice, pursuant to appointments from both Republican and Democrat Governors. Rob was also appointed by the Kentucky Attorney General to the Kentucky Multidisciplinary Commission on Child Sexual Abuse, and the Kentucky Search Warrant Task Force. Rob also serves on the Kentucky Supreme Court’s Judicial Workload Assessment Committee and their Criminal Rules Committee. Rob has served in every elected office in the Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorneys Association, including President in 2015-2016. He is now co-legislative chairman for the Association. In 2023, the Association honored Rob with their highest honor, the Carroll M. Redford Award naming him “Outstanding Kentucky Prosecutor.” Also in 2023, the Attorney General named Rob’s office “Outstanding Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office.” Rob has achieved the Martindale-Hubbell peer review rating of AV-Preeminent, the pinnacle of professional excellence for legal ability and ethics, every year since 2003.

Outside the practice of law, Rob served for twenty years as a volunteer firefighter on the Ft. Mitchell Fire Department where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant before retiring. Rob and his wife live in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky with their daughter. When away from the office, Rob enjoys Cross-fit, hunting, fishing, cooking, and being a girl-dad. He is also an avid fan of the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals.

Margaret Martin is an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney for the 54th Judicial Circuit. She served as a law clerk in the office until she was hired as a full-time prosecutor after passing the Kentucky Bar in 2022. Margaret graduated Magna Cum Laude from Miami University in 2019 and Summa Cum Laude from Salon P. Chase College of Law in 2022. Margaret prosecutes a wide variety of felony cases, including many possession and drug trafficking cases. Marget also represents the Commonwealth in the Boone County Mental Health Court Program.

Alexandria Torres earned her undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Print Journalism from the University of Kentucky in 2017 and her Juris Doctorate from Northern Kentucky University Salmon P. Chase School of Law in 2020. While Alexandria attended Salmon P. Chase School of Law she was an associate Editor of the Northern Kentucky Law Review, a Co-Founder of the Intellectual Property of the Legal Associate of Women, and a student with the Constitutional Litigation Clinic through the Ohio Justice and Policy center. Alexandria currently serves as a member of the Northern Kentucky Bar Association.

Alexandria prosecutes a wide variety of felony cases including property, drug, theft, and other violent crimes.

John Carnesi is a dedicated social worker with a Bachelor of Social Work degree and a Licensed Social Worker credential, specializing in supporting individuals with substance use disorders and those involved in the criminal justice system. With proven experience in assessment, intervention, and resource coordination, John is committed to fostering personal growth and promoting long-term stability for individuals battling challenging circumstances. In his current role as Enrollment and Boone County MRRT(Multidisciplinary Recovery Reentry Team)Coordinator, John works with individuals navigating the criminal justice ecosystem by diverting them to appropriate treatment and aftercare programming for their specific needs. John is a Cincinnati native achieving his graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Cincinnati.

Gerina D. Whethers Louisville’s Chief Prosecutor, Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers, brings over 20 years of legal experience and professional expertise to her current efforts supporting public safety and safeguarding the rule of law in the 30th Judicial Circuit. Since taking office in May 2023, she has incorporated insights from her previous roles as an executive and community leader on the local, state, and national levels to pursue justice ethically and fairly. Attorney Whethers puts particular focus on advocating for justice for the victims of crime and on making sure all persons are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect throughout the legal process. To ensure over 700,000 citizens in Jefferson County receive due process in the legal system, she leads an office of 100 attorneys, investigators, victim advocates, and other team members whose daily work supports the mission to prosecute the guilty and protect the innocent. She is the first African American woman to serve as Commonwealth’s Attorney for Jefferson County since the office’s inception.

Elizabeth Jones Brown became the First Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 30th Judicial Circuit in January 2025. She received her law degree from Georgetown University (DC) Law Center in 2002 and is a licensed member of the bars of the Commonwealths of Kentucky and Virginia. Prior to law school, she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology from Centre College in 1996 and a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from the University of Kentucky in 1998. In the past, Ms. Jones Brown worked as a Law Clerk for a judge in the DC Superior Court, and she served as Assistant General Counsel to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 2004 to 2007. Ms. Jones Brown joined the office as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in 2007, and in 2015 became the Division Chief of the Violent Crimes Unit. She also served as the Second Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and Homicide Liaison before her appointment as First Assistant.

Lieutenant Joseph Fox has served with the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) for 11 years. Currently, he leads the Focused Intelligence Unit within the Criminal Interdiction Division. This unit comprises the Firearms Intelligence Squad, LMINTEL (Gang Investigation Squad), the PFP Project Team, and the GVI (Group Violence Intervention) liaison for LMPD’s role in the GVI program.

Lt. Fox holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Louisville and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. During his tenure at LMPD, Lt. Fox has served in the 1st Division as a Patrol Officer and Detective (investigating a range of crimes from property to felonious assault), a Violent Crime Unit Sergeant in the Criminal Interdiction Division, and a Late-Watch Patrol Lieutenant in the 1st Division.

Detective Ivan Haygood has served with the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) for 10 years. Currently, he leads LMPD’s Group Violence Intervention efforts as part of the Criminal Interdiction Division’s Focused Intelligence Unit. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Justice Administration from the University of Louisville.

Throughout his career, Detective Haygood has served as a patrol officer in LMPD’s 1st Division, covering areas such as the downtown business district, medical district, and the Portland and Russell neighborhoods. The Community Engagement Unit where he utilized his extensive experience to connect and foster relationships in the community to advance the safety of all. Raised in a loving military and religious family, Ivan developed a deep sense of duty and responsibility. He is dedicated to living by example and inspiring others to reach their full potential. Outside of his professional life, Ivan is a devoted husband, father, coach, musician, role model, and mentor.

Erwin Roberts currently serves as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, prosecuting violent crime and national security matters. He began his legal career as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in the Fayette County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office where he prosecuted general felony crimes. In 1999, Roberts served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky in Louisville, Kentucky where he prosecuted federal drug, white collar, immigration, and anti- terrorism cases. As part of his anti-terrorism duties, he served as the Anti-Terrorism Task Force (ATTF) Coordinator. The ATTF consisted of over 100 federal, state, and local first responder agencies. In 2004, he served as the first Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security where he was responsible for the coordination of all homeland security efforts for the Commonwealth and for compliance with U.S. Department of Homeland Security initiatives. In 2004, Roberts was appointed Secretary of the Personnel Cabinet where he served as a member of the Governor’s Executive Cabinet. From 2006 to 2016, Roberts worked in private practice in Louisville, Kentucky focusing in the areas of criminal defense and business litigation. From 2016 to 2023, Roberts served as the First Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in the Office of the Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney. In 2023, Roberts retired from the United States Army Reserve Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel after 23 years of service. He is a graduate of Transylvania University and the University of Kentucky College of Law.

A.J. Gibes is an Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) for the Louisville Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. He was promoted to this position in January 2023. In this role, ASAC Gibes oversees ATF’s criminal investigative offices in Louisville, Bowling Green, and Paducah, Kentucky as well as the division’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center which focuses on addressing armed violent offenders, criminal groups and gangs, and firearm trafficking organizations. ASAC Gibes began his career with ATF in 2008 as a Special Agent in the Tucson, Arizona Field Office. During that time, Special Agent Gibes focused on investigating international firearms trafficking cases that spanned the globe and served as a Certified Explosives Specialist. In 2017, Special Agent Gibes was promoted to a Program Manager with ATF’s Internet Investigations Center located in Washington, D.C. In 2019, Agent Gibes returned to Arizona and served as the Resident Agent in Charge (RAC) of the Tucson II Field Office until 2022. In 2020, Special Agent Gibes was selected to represent ATF as a subject matter expert and a strategic planner while assigned to the U.S. Council on Transnational Organized Crime – Strategic Division located in Vienna, Virginia.

ASAC Gibes began his federal career as an immigration officer with the Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services from 2002 to 2008. ASAC Gibes earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Arizona in 2003. ASAC Gibes also earned graduate certificates in Forensic Science and Explosives Technology and completed the Leadership and Command Course at the U.S. Army War College.

Critt Cunningham is the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the newly formed VCRT (Violent Crime Reduction Team) operating out of Louisville. He has been a prosecutor for the better part of 20 years. He was a second-generation juvenile prosecutor at the Office of the Jefferson County Attorney; then as an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney in Jefferson County, he was the Deputy Division Chief of VCU (Violent Crimes Unit) and the Head of the Juvenile Division. Critt also helped establish KIPA (Kentucky Indiana Prosecutors Association). He is a proud UK Law graduate and received his bachelor’s degree with honors from Vanderbilt University. Critt is an Eagle Scout and avid kayaker. He enjoys his life with his wife Anna, who is a public-school teacher, his two big dogs, one cat, and his approximately 180,000 bees.

Olivia F. Amlung has been a Member of the firm since January 2025, but began her legal career as an associate attorney at the firm in June 2017. With the firm, Olivia developed her general civil litigation skills primarily while representing local governmental entities and officials, as well as some private businesses and individuals. After four years with the firm, Olivia served the Commonwealth for a year as an Assistant Attorney General in the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office of Civil and Environmental Law. While with the Attorney General’s Office, Olivia gained invaluable experience in government defense, open records, and a variety of constitutional matters. In 2022, Olivia returned to Adams Law to resume her local government practice. In her current role with Adams, Olivia is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group, primarily focusing on claims involving local government defense, civil rights, municipal liability, school and special education law, and a variety of other civil litigation matters. Throughout her career, Olivia has successfully litigated numerous trials in state and federal courts and administrative tribunals. She also provides day-to-day contract review and general advising services for local businesses, cities, counties, school districts, and quasi-governmental entities to guide them through the daily complexities of issues faced by local government.

Olivia graduated from the University of Louisville in 2013 with honors and continued her education at the University of Cincinnati College of Law, graduating in 2016. She is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the State of Ohio, along with their respective federal courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Olivia has repeatedly been named to the Super Lawyers® Rising Stars List for her excellence in defending civil litigation claims. In 2020, Olivia was named the Kentucky Defense Counsel’s Young Lawyer of the Year for significant contributions to KDC and excellence in the practice of law.

Passionate about the community’s youth, Olivia actively volunteers with multiple leadership programs focusing on the professional and personal development of local high school students. Following this passion, she often takes an active role volunteering with the Boone County Schools, the Boone County Education Foundation, the Chamber of Commerce, and various local political groups. In her spare time, Olivia can often be found attending local community events, practicing in her church’s worship band, or spending time with family and friends. Olivia is a life-long resident of Boone County, where she currently lives with her family.

Justice Michelle M. Keller was appointed to the Kentucky Supreme Court in April 2013. She was subsequently elected in both 2014 and 2022 for two full terms on the Court. Prior to her service on the Supreme Court, Justice Keller was elected as a Judge to the Kentucky Court of Appeals in November 2006. Justice Keller has served on the Judicial Conduct Commission, was Chairperson of the Court of Justice’s Technology Governance Committee, and is currently Chairperson of the Kentucky Access to Justice Commission and Criminal Rules Committee.

Prior to her service on the bench, Justice Keller practiced law for 17 years. She served as an Assistant County Attorney for her home county of Kenton. Her private practice concentrated in the areas of medical negligence and product liability defense, personal injury, family law, and criminal defense. Justice Keller also practiced administrative law, representing numerous clients before state regulatory and licensure boards. She is Chairwoman Emeritus of the Kentucky Personnel Board and has served as a hearing officer and member of that Board. Justice Keller is licensed to practice law in Kentucky, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and the United States Supreme Court. She is a member of the Honorary Order of Kentucky Colonels and has twice been commended by the Kentucky House of Representatives for her service to the Commonwealth.

Justice Keller attended Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law while working as a licensed registered nurse in critical care. At Chase, Justice Keller was an IOLTA Scholar, earning her Juris Doctor in 1990. Chase presented Justice Keller with both the Chase Excellence and Chase Exceptional Service Awards in 2007 and 2011, respectively.

Additionally, Justice Keller was named a 2012 Outstanding Woman of Northern Kentucky honoree. In 2013 she received the Richard D. Lawrence Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Northern Kentucky Bar Association (“NKBA”). Justice Keller was honored in 2014 with the Liberty Bell Award for her service to the Court of Justice, and in 2016 she was inducted into the Lloyd Memorial High School Alumni Hall of Fame. In December 2017, Justice Keller was the first woman presented with the Distinguished Lawyer of the Year Award by the NKBA. The Kentucky Bar Association (“KBA”) honored Justice Keller with the 2020 Distinguished Judge Award. She was recently presented the 2024 Justice For All Award by the Northern Kentucky Volunteer Lawyers, was honored as a 2024 Phenomenal Woman by the New Beginning Community Church Women’s Ministry, and received the 2024 Fair Administration of Justice Award from the Kentucky Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Justice Keller has served in various positions for the NKBA, KBA, and the American Bar Association. In 2009, she received the KBA’s Donated Legal Services Award for her commitment to Pro Bono service and support of Kentucky’s legal services organizations. She is a Master in the Salmon P. Chase Inn of Court and served as President of the Inn from 2012-13. Justice Keller is also a Fellow of both the American and Kentucky Bar Foundations.

A lifelong Northern Kentuckian, Justice Keller and her husband, Jim, a physician, are the proud parents of two adult daughters. One serves as a public health practitioner and the other is a practicing attorney.