By Intern Ashley Addo

 

I started my internship at the Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney's Office in early September. From the first days of my internship, I felt very comfortable in the office.  Mr. Larson and the staff were welcoming and willing to make my experience worthwhile.

 

During the first part of my internship, Mr. Larson instructed me to research and write a summary of a murder case for his radio show.  At first, I must admit that I was somewhat nervous and confused about where to start.  There were ample documents in this case and I had never had any exposure to a murder case.  After searching for the necessary documents, reading copies of the defendant's personal diary and listening to testimonials on tape recordings, I was finally able to put a detailed story together about the case.  The most challenging part of this task was following the chronological dates of the case and gathering the most imperative details.  However, it felt very accomplishing once the task was done.
 
Later in my internship, Mr. Larson gave me the opportunity to select any case that I wanted to research for his radio show.  I selected the well-known murder case that occurred in Louisville, Kentucky.  This case was a lot harder to dissect because the case was not done in this office.  I didn't have all of the necessary documents so I had to utilize credible online sources.  I also contacted one of the prosecutors in the Jefferson County's Commonwealth's Attorney's Office to confirm details.
 
Every Friday of my internship is really interesting because I attend Circuit Court for motion hour.  I've learned a lot about the roles of the judges, prosecutors, victim's advocates, defense attorneys and parole officers.  I'm constantly learning something new or being exposed to an unknown legal term that I later familiarize myself with. The most exciting part of my internship thus far was when I sat in a murder trial.  I walked into Mr. Larson's office and he said, "Go to Judge Goodwine's courtroom, there's an interesting case going on."  I had no idea what case Mr. Larson was referring to.  When I arrived to the courtroom, I quickly realized that I was in a murder trial. It was interesting to see the way the Commonwealth and the defense attorney meticulously compiled their sides of the case.  I learned quite a bit from sitting through this murder trial.
 
As a prospective law student, I must say that I am very lucky to have the opportunity to intern in an office with such dedicated, intelligent workers who strive for the pursuit of justice.  I am halfway done with this internship and I hope to cultivate my experience with even more knowledge and exposure to the field of law.

 

Edison Banks, II is the Commonwealth's Attorney for Letcher County.  He has an Associates Degree from Hazard Community College, a Bachelors Degree from the University of Kentucky, and his law degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law.

 

Edison was an Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney from 1987 - 1992, an Assistant County Attorney from 1994 - 2000, and was elected Commonwealth's Attorney for the 47th Judicial Circuit in November 2000.  He assumed office on January 1, 2001.

Edison is Past President of the Whitesburg Lion's Club, Past Zone Chairman and Past Region Chairman of the Lions Club International.  He is a Charter Member of the Letcher County Adult Drug Court, and was Chairman of the Board of the Letcher Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad from 1992 - 1999, and is a Board Member of ATSAP (Alcohol, Tobacco, Substance Abuse Project).