An attorney, five-term state legislator, and former Kentucky Justice Cabinet Secretary, Tilley has spent nearly three decades working for a more fair, just, and effective criminal justice system. As a member of Kentucky's House of Representatives, Tilley spent seven years as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, earning a reputation for building coalitions and consensus and crafting transformative legislation. In his role as head of the state's justice cabinet, Tilley championed reform efforts across the criminal justice landscape while overseeing adult corrections, juvenile justice, state police, drug policy, public defense, and other departments.