Matt Butler, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Letcher County

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Matt Butler, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Letcher County Matt Butler is the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Kentucky’s 47th Judicial Circuit, covering Letcher Co.

10/15/2026

My job duties are defined by KRS 15.725 and contain no surprises. I’m elected to try felonies and handle grand jury responsibilities. I don’t have clients in the traditional sense. Rather, my core responsibility is to defend the “peace and dignity of the Commonwealth.”

Lately, I feel like both the peace and dignity of our circuit are under attack, and I feel compelled to make this call for ALL of us to do better. I’ve faced probably more than my share of online hate and I’ve gone completely apoplectic when my kids are brought into it. I’m definitely not better at controlling my emotions than anyone else. I’ve just learned from experience how to deal with it.

This is how you deal with it, and it can really be this simple:

1) Don’t read it. Don’t click on it. Don’t share it with me or whoever else it’s about. Don’t drive traffic to a site because that’s how they get paid. It doesn’t matter if you’re “just wanting to see what lies they’re coming out with now.” You are getting them paid by viewing the posts. Click “unfollow” or “block.” You can control what you view.

2) Don’t try to argue back. Just remember this quote: “Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.”

3) Please don’t retaliate. Don’t make threats. Don’t say “I wish someone would….” We don’t want that. Please don’t be baited into committing a crime.

4) Please remember that you and your family do not have to be a victim of a crime. Dissemination of personally identifying information (KRS 525.085), Harassment (KRS 525.070), Stalking (KRS 508.130), and Menacing (KRS 508.050) are all criminal statutes designed to protect you. If you feel like you’ve been a victim of this crime from anyone, reach out to law enforcement.

I know it’s election season and everything seems to be at a fever pitch right now, but let’s all keep the peace. It makes us look horrible to let the world’s view of our county be so negative and childish. We’re better than this.

09/25/2026

If you believe that you are a client of Jennifer Taylor, you may want to read the order of suspension from the Kentucky Supreme Court, linked below. My office has received allegations that Ms. Taylor has stolen from her clients, I have referred those cases to the Whitesburg City Police and then disqualified from any possible prosecution. My understanding is that the special prosecutor has declined to bring any charges. I am not involved in that decision in any way, and a special prosecutor was necessary after a long history of Ms. Taylor having apparent involvement in attacking me on the Internet. 

I strongly suggest that you contact the Kentucky Bar Association, the Whitesburg City Police, the bankruptcy trustee if you had a bankruptcy case, or a private lawyer who may be able to advise you on how to proceed, if you are a client who has allegations against Ms. Taylor.



The most rewarding part of my career before taking office was helping hundreds of coal miners get some justice after the...
09/07/2026

The most rewarding part of my career before taking office was helping hundreds of coal miners get some justice after they have been given defective safety products for decades. I’m proud to stick up for the working people and I say thank you to all of you on Labor Day. I value my UMWA local 5741 endorsement and hang it proudly in my office. 

The LCCHS marching band is going to look and feel cool tomorrow night at the home opener with these shirts. I hope they ...
09/03/2026

The LCCHS marching band is going to look and feel cool tomorrow night at the home opener with these shirts. I hope they enjoy having an alternative to wool marching uniforms in 90 degree heat. Thanks to Mark at Sports R Us for getting the shirts done so quickly. Remember that if there’s something I can do for our county’s kids, my only answers are “yes” and “ok, but wait until the next payday.”

08/20/2026

Conviction upheld!!! The Kentucky Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the conviction of Ronny Sturgill. Thank you to the Attorney General's office because they handle the appeals in Kentucky and do an excellent job. You can read the opinion below.

07/10/2026

Please take the time to read Kentucky's new stalking law which takes effect 7-15-26. If you feel like you have been the victim of stalking, please contact local law enforcement or the Kentucky State Police or contact my office and I will put you in touch with law enforcement.

For nearly two years, everybody in the courthouse has had to bite their tongue while we all get slandered by those who e...
06/09/2026

For nearly two years, everybody in the courthouse has had to bite their tongue while we all get slandered by those who either work for Mickey or align themselves with him. We simply cannot talk about the merits of the case because a fair trial is absolutely essential. I believe in the Constitution.

However, this past week, Mickey’s lawyers have decided to whine because I didn’t want to get dragged into their circus. I did end up testifying relating to a change of venue and my thoughts are easily findable online because the hearing was broadcast on TV everywhere.

His lawyers never had the spine to call me and ask me to appear. I’m assuming they don’t have the courage to talk to me because they know what they and their investigator Joel Cotton a.k.a. Joel Newton have been doing.

While somebody is circling my child’s kindergarten graduation and reaching out to people sympathetic to Mickey who use the same daycare as my preschooler, so they can harass me around my children, none of the lawyers can call me.

Here is why I don’t speak to Joel Cotton aka Joel Newton: the man tells people he is a federal investigator to try to intimidate them. He is not in any way part of the federal government. He also sends out text messages like the one screenshot below. He’ll deny this like he did to reporters, but I’m satisfied that this came from him and the phone number he uses. Does this look like somebody who is after the truth or somebody who’s trying to bribe people to say what he wants? You decide. 

Again, if you need me, I’m easy to find. If you are a lawyer, just pick up the phone and have a spine. People need to learn to leave my children alone. 

06/09/2026

On June 3, 2026, Vincent Fleming was sentenced to nineteen years in prison for the homicide of Renata Bailey. Under Kentucky law, voluntary intoxication is not usually a defense to a crime. However, in circumstances like this case, a defendant can show that he was so intoxicated that he could not form the specific intent to commit murder. Based on the state of the law, the most I could realistically prove was First- Degree Manslaughter and the most time that Vincent Fleming could get was 20 years. I negotiated a plea of 19 years. In exchange for taking one year off the maximum, Fleming cannot appeal his sentence and the victim's family has been spared the agony of a trial.

There is never enough jail time, under Kentucky law, for someone who has taken a life. I am bound to follow the law and must consider what I can do, not what I wish I could do. Mr. Fleming was not a persistent felony offender and therefore not subject to the heightened punishment that applied to Rodney Webb, the homicide case we tried last month.

Some outcomes are tough and I knew that going into this job. If you find that range of punishment too low for this crime, contact your legislators and tell them to increase the punishment. I would gladly have given Mr. Fleming more time if the law allowed it.

I understand the frustration of Renata's family and my heart breaks for them. I hope that they understand that we've done all we could.

05/27/2026

We have concluded the trial of Rodney Webb for the killing of his nephew Nicholas Webb in April 2024. The jury has convicted Rodney Webb of manslaughter in the first degree, which means that the jury felt that the defendant meant to cause serious physical injury, but ended up causing a death. The victim was shot one time in the leg after a disagreement. The jury also convicted Rodney Webb of being a persistent felony offender and recommended a sentence of 25 years. Because Mr. Webb has already been convicted of a felony and used a fi***rm in the commission of this new offense, he will not be eligible for any form of parole and must serve every day of the 25 years.  I want to thank all of the first responders, in particular Detective Brandon Thomas from the Kentucky State Police, who did an excellent job on this case. I’d also like to thank my entire staff for their hard work, including giving up every day of their Memorial Day weekend to help prepare for this trial. I have the best office staff imaginable, and I am grateful for them. 

We can never fully repay those who died serving our country. We can honestly and genuinely honor those who died for our ...
05/24/2026

We can never fully repay those who died serving our country. We can honestly and genuinely honor those who died for our freedom, and we can try to make sure we love the country and work hard to improve the country they died for.

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Whitesburg, KY
41858

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Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
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