Ray Larson
I would hate to be the next criminal Ray Larson of Lexington, Kentucky, faces. Not only is he hard on those who choose to commit crimes, but he’s also in a particularly bad mood since his Kentucky Wildcats lost in a late round of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. In a state where the entire populace cries and bleeds blue when the team falters, Larson is still considered a huge University of Kentucky basketball fan.
But no time is a good time to commit crime in Lexington, Kentucky. Ray Larson, Fayette County’s commonwealth’s attorney, is a criminal’s worst nightmare. For as clever and witty as Ray Larson is, he sees nothing funny in criminal activity. His many state and national awards and honors bear him out to be a prosecutor who is as tough on crime as he is dedicated to the fair treatment of victims. I don’t apologize “for enabling criminals to send themselves to prison,” says Larson. Indeed, he feels that prosecutors are elected to take a stand against hoodlums who are criminals. As he sees it, one of the fundamental roles of government officials is “to do all we can to guarantee the safety of citizens. We protect law-abiding citizens from criminals by incarcerating people.”
Another one of Larson’s passions is his Web site (www.lexingtonprosecutor.com) where you get an immediate sense of how proud he is of the efforts of his office in getting criminals off the streets. You also learn that he is outraged by those who are soft on criminal activity or insensitive to victims and their families.
You also get a feel for his delightful sense of humor when you read “Bald Guys News” on his Web site. Larson is bald and proud of it.
“You can’t be a prosecutor unless you have a sense of humor,” claims Larson. “You need a good sense of humor to survive all the tragedy we see in this business.”
Ray Larson has been the Fayette County Commonwealth’s attorney since 1985. He represents a jurisdiction with a population of 250,000. Larson’s office has 17 prosecutors and over 1500 felony crimes are prosecuted annually. He is extremely proud of the fact that, of his 17 assistants, six are men, 11 are women and 41 percent represent minorities: African American, Native American and Hispanic. “I don’t recruit diversity,” states Larson, “I recruit people of character. Diversity is a bonus.”
Larson introduced an emphasis on vehicular homicide and a focus on the crime victim to his office. Although prosecutors have to make the decision about the case, he makes sure the victims understand that decision even if they don’t agree. “Communication with the victim is a premium in my office,” says Larson.
Larson was born in Yakima, Washington, into a career air force family. He attended the University of Kentucky for his undergraduate and law degrees. He is married and he and his wife, Betty who has been an elementary school teacher for 32 years, have a 20-year-old son. His career began in 1972 when he was appointed city prosecutor of Paducah, Kentucky. In 1974, he became an assistant deputy attorney general and won election to become the Fayette County commonwealth’s attorney in 1985. The national recognition and awards then began coming in at a constant and steady pace. For example, he received the United States Presidential Award in 1992 for outstanding service on behalf of victims of crime. President George Bush presented Larson with the award in a Rose Garden ceremony. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has honored him for promotion of safety in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and in securing passage of Lexington’s Safety Belt Ordinance. The National Organization for Victim Assistance has recognized him repeatedly for his work with crime victims as has the Kentucky State Police and the Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorneys Association. That association has presented Larson with its president’s award six times and has named him its outstanding prosecutor twice. Kentucky Attorney General David Armstrong (a former NDAA president) named him prosecutor of the year in 1987.
Ray Larson says he became a prosecutor because he thinks “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” He says his father (the air force officer) taught him that “everyone should be treated equally, that everyone must be responsible for their behavior and that people who violate the rules suffer consequences.” Prosecutors deal with those who break the rules and prosecutors make sure those people suffer the appropriate consequences.
Larson says he “loves being a part of NDAA because it is so refreshing to be around some of the most innovative people in America.”
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