In 2015, Jason Batts was elected as the county prosecutor for Hickman County, Kentucky. In this position, he prepares search warrants and arrest warrants, and oversees criminal prosecutions, cases for involuntary hospitalizations, and emergency petitions concerning child abuse. As the county prosecutor, Batts is the legal advisor to local officials, which requires him to prepare and review government contracts. In Kentucky, elected county prosecutors are permitted to engage in the private practice of law, and in 2012 Batts started his own law firm focused on the areas of real estate, business formations, estate planning, and probate. He is passionate about helping others and maintains an active practice providing pro bono legal services to low-income clients and veterans.
From 2012 to 2020 Batts served in the Army Reserve as a Judge Advocate, deploying domestically and abroad for various missions. In 2020, he transferred to the Air Force Reserve where he continues to serve as a Judge Advocate stationed at Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington, D.C. when on duty. Batts earned his bachelors degree in history from Morehead State University and his J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis where he was selected as Editor in Chief of the Washington University Law Review. Prior to law school, he spent a few years working in D.C. as an intern in The White House and a congressional aide. Between Kentucky and D.C., he prefers the small-town life and is really looking forward to the class.
Batts lives in Western Kentucky with his wife, Cayce, who serves as a lecturer of Social Work at the University of Tennessee at Martin.