Kym Worthy facts for kids

Kym Loren Worthy (born December 5, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician. She has been the top prosecutor for Wayne County, Michigan since 2004. A prosecutor is a lawyer who works for the government. Their job is to bring legal cases against people accused of crimes.

Kym Worthy is a member of the Democratic Party. She made history as the first African-American woman to be a county prosecutor in Michigan. She is well-known for her work, including a case involving then-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in 2008.

Kym Worthy's Journey

Early Life and Education

Kym Worthy went to high school in Alexandria, Virginia. She graduated from T.C. Williams High School in 1974.

She earned her first degree from the University of Michigan. Later, she received her law degree, called a J.D., from Notre Dame Law School.

Starting Her Legal Career

Kym Worthy began working as an assistant prosecutor in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in 1984. She held this job for ten years. During this time, she became the first African-American special assignment prosecutor. This meant she handled important and complex cases.

She was known for her high success rate in court. In 1994, Kym Worthy was elected to be a judge. She served as a judge on the Wayne County Circuit Court until January 2004.

Becoming Wayne County Prosecutor

In 2004, judges chose Kym Worthy to become the Wayne County Prosecutor. She took over from Mike Duggan, who later became the mayor of Detroit.

The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is very busy. It handles a large number of serious crime cases in Michigan. Kym Worthy has worked to make sure her office has the resources it needs.

Helping the Community

Kym Worthy has started several important programs to help people in Wayne County.

Testing Evidence Kits

In 2009, a large number of untested evidence kits were found. These kits contained important clues from past cases. Kym Worthy worked to get these kits tested.

She created a partnership with different groups to raise money. Many people and organizations across the United States donated funds. This project helped solve many old cases.

In 2018, Kym Worthy was featured in a film called I Am Evidence. This film showed the importance of testing these kits. The documentary won an Emmy Award in 2019.

Conviction Integrity Unit

In 2017, Kym Worthy started a special team called the Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU). This team began its work in 2018.

The CIU's job is to review old cases. They look for new evidence that might show an innocent person was wrongly found guilty. If they find a mistake, they recommend ways to fix it. By June 2020, this unit had helped release 19 people from prison.

Talk It Out Program

In 2019, Kym Worthy announced a new program called Talk It Out. This program helps young people who have committed minor crimes. Instead of charging them with a crime, it offers other ways to solve problems. This partnership aims to help teenagers make better choices for their future.

Michigan Women's Hall of Fame

Kym Worthy was honored by being inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame. This special recognition celebrates women who have made big differences in Michigan. Other notable women were also inducted alongside her.