Appellate and Research Division

The Appellate and Research Division is responsible for representing the Commonwealth in all types of appeals from convictions and requests for post-conviction relief that this office chooses to handle rather than deferring to the Kentucky Attorney General's Office, which handles most appeals. The Division's attorneys are responsible for the writing of appellate pleadings and briefs and for oral argument before state and federal appellate courts. This Division is also responsible for aggressively pursuing all manner of extraordinary writs and interlocutory appeals that may be appropriate, and for protecting prosecutors and their files from inappropriate subpoenas. It is the mission of this Division to strongly defend those convictions obtained by this office after a trial or guilty plea.

Also, the Division's attorneys oversee all appellate research, especially that conducted by its staff of law clerks. Division staff is available to conduct, or assist in conducting, research projects for staff prosecutors, and to strategize and advise regarding ongoing cases.

Samuel Floyd - Division Chief, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney

Mr. Floyd received his license to practice law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1988. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Bellarmine University and his J.D. Degree from the University of Louisville’s Brandeis School of Law. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Floyd worked in production at General Electric, as a caseworker for the Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children, and as an Administrator for the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. Before joining the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, he was an Assistant Attorney General in the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office for 18 years, concentrating on criminal appellate matters. Mr. Floyd is a professional member of the Kentucky Bar Association, and he is currently assigned to the Appellate and Research Division.

Dorislee Gilbert - Deputy Division Chief, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney

Ms. Gilbert received her license to practice law in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 2002, and joined the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney in June of 2004. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Studies from Kentucky State University in 1999, and her Juris Doctor in 2002, from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.Ms. Gilbert's prior legal experience includes a judicial clerkship for Kentucky Supreme Court Justice James Keller, a position as a Bankruptcy and Litigation Associate with a private law firm in Chicago, and a judicial clerkship for Honorable Justice Margaret S. McBride of the Illinois Appellate Court.

Ms. Gilbert is the director of the Kidstuf drama at Ninth and O Baptist Church and has participated in the Awana ministry and the Upwards Soccer program there. She is a member of the Exploited Children's Help Organization's (ECHO) newsletter committee and writes regularly for them. She is secretary of her homeowners association. She is involved with Family & Children's First, both as a committee member and a speaker. She was actively involved in 4-H clubs for most of her youth and has continued to speak at events and serve as a judge for talk meets. Formerly, Ms. Gilbert was a member of the New Millennium Theatre Company, a coach and member of the Chicago-Kent National Trial Advocacy Team, a co-Chair of the Chicago Bar Association's Young Lawyers Section Committee for Creative Arts, a member of the Editorial Board of the Illinois State Bar Journal, and a volunteer and former Board member of the Uptown Theatre and Center for the Arts. The many awards that she has received include the Warren Wolfson Trial Advocacy Award from Chicago-Kent and the KSU Outstanding Senior Award. Ms. Gilbert is a professional member of the Kentucky Bar Association. She previously served on the Louisville Legal Aid Society Board. Ms. Gilbert is a graduate of the 2008 LBA Leadership Academy and is an LBA Leadership Fellow. She currently serves as the Deputy Division Chief for the Appellate and Research Division.

Alicia Gomez - Law Clerk
Richard Elder- Law Clerk
Erin Bravo - Law Clerk