Ray Larson was sworn in as Fayette County commonwealth’s attorney on Jan. 2, 1985, by Circuit Judge L.T. Grant as Larson’s wife, Betty, looked on. Larson was appointed by Gov. Martha Layne Collins to succeed Larry Roberts, who had been commonwealth’s attorney for seven years and who announced in November 1984 that he was resigning to enter private practice. In the brief swearing-in in front of an overflow crowd of about 175 people at the Fayette County courthouse, Larson, 40, said he looked forward to the challenge of trying to maintain the level of professionalism for which, he said, Roberts’ office had become known. Almost 32 years later, Larson announced Sept. 9, 2016, that he is retiring as Fayette County’s longtime chief prosecutor. Photo by Tom Woods | Staff