{Louisville, Kentucky}...The state Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the Kentucky Attorney General's office has limited powers to initiate criminal investigations and that it overstepped its bounds in helping bring a drug conviction in eastern Kentucky, which has been reversed. Judge Glenn Acree, writing for the court, found that the Attorney General is limited to offering advice in most probes and has limited prosecutorial abilities, but criminal investigation is not among them. Acree, joined by judges Denise Clayton and Donna Dixon, also found that an opinion by the attorney general's office spelling out a specific request in writing is needed to intervene in an investigation. Attorney General Jack Conway spokeswoman Allison Gardner Martin described the decision as "disappointing" and said the Kentucky Supreme Court will be asked to review the ruling.
