OPERATION UNITE ABOUT TO 'FLOOD THE COURT SYSTEM'

SOMERSET - Two assistant commonwealth's attorneys have been tapped to
prosecute only drug cases in a seven-county area in Eastern Kentucky.

Greg Ousley will serve as a special prosecutor for cases in Pulaski,
Rockcastle and Wayne counties, U.S. Attorney Greg Van Tatenhove said.
Michael Pratt will work on cases in Laurel, Knox, Whitley and McCreary
counties, Van Tatenhove said.

The seven counties are part of Operation Unlawful Narcotics
Investigations, Treatment & Education.

Devoting Ousley and Pratt to prosecute drug cases exclusively "helps
because of the backlog of cases that we're creating," said Karen
Engle, executive director of Operation UNITE. "We were going to flood
the court system because we were going at such a phenomenal rate."

Since Operation UNITE started on Jan. 15, 445 drug cases have been
opened, Engle said. Van Tatenhove's office provided the funding for
the positions, Engle said. U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, lined up
federal funding for the anti-drug initiative.