Welcome!
 On behalf of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association let me welcome you to our website. Here you will find information about the role of prosecuting attorneys and our Association.
The prosecutor’s role in the criminal justice system is often misunderstood. Ohio’s 88 elected county prosecutors are committed to justice. The prosecutors I know aren’t motivated by “winning” or trying to send everyone to prison for as long as possible. They are motivated by their responsibility to enforce the law, to make their communities safe and to fairly administer justice. And fairness and justice is what matters most of all. Prosecutors live this every day.
Part of our role is to have a voice in public policy debates affecting the criminal justice system. To that end, Ohio’s prosecutors serve an important function reviewing and advocating for legislation with one goal in mind – the safety and security of our communities.
Ohio’s prosecutors are active in community and civic affairs. From speaking to school children about the dangers of drugs to serving on numerous committees and commissions, Ohio’s elected prosecutors and their assistants serve in vital roles.
As legal counsel to a variety of County elected officials, offices and agencies your county prosecutor assists in ensuring efficient and responsible county government.
I’m proud to be a prosecutor and honored to serve as President of the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association. Please take your time and look around. Hopefully you will find information here that is educational and informative about your county prosecutor.
Keller J. Blackburn
Athens County Prosecutor
2025 OPAA President
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Career Opportunities
Amicus Committee Guidelines
The Ohio Prosecutor Podcast
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Child Abuse Prevention and Sexual Assault Awareness Month
April is both Child Abuse Prevention as well as Sexual Assault Awareness month. We thought it important to share some updated statistics provided by the Policy & Research team at OCJS.
• Ohio’s law enforcement agencies reported 11,465 victims of sexual assault in 2023.
• In Ohio, 12% of female victims and 3% of male victims that experienced sexual violence were assaulted by an intimate partner, and 8% of female victims and almost 6% of male victims experienced sexual violence by a stranger.
• During Ohio’s 2023-2024 school year, one in 10 high-school girls, and one in 20 high-school boys, reported experiencing sexual violence.
• In Ohio almost 79% of incidents with a female victim, and 90% of incidents with a male victim of sexual violence, the perpetrator was not an intimate partner, but someone else they knew, such as a friend or family member.
• One in four girls and one in 20 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old; and one in seven adults reported experiences of technology facilitated sexual violence and abuse before they turned 18.
In light of the impact of sexual assaults exacting an emotional, physical, psychological, and financial toll on victims and their families, friends, co-workers, and entire communities, Governor DeWine and Lieutenant Governor Tressel recognized April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Resources are available at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
In addition to the proclamation, Governor DeWine has also dedicated funding to reimburse state and local law enforcement agencies to conduct investigations on sexual assault kit testing and related expenses.
We would like to thank the agencies who every day serve the survivors of these life-altering crimes, as well as the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence for their advocacy on behalf of all survivors.
Thank you to OCJS Executive Director Dehner for this article.
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