Franklin County Attorney Heather Jones has announced she is stepping down.

Jones said she accepted an assistant district attorney position in the Johnson County Attorney’s Office as a section chief of the sex crimes and child abuse division. Her resignation in Franklin County takes effect May 22.

She has served as an assistant county attorney beginning in August 2000 and took office as county attorney in 2005 after winning the 2004 election. She won re-election in 2008.

The Franklin County Republican Party’s central committee will elect a replacement to recommend to Gov. Sam Brownback.

Jones said she planned to continue handling an ongoing Douglas County sex crime case in which she is a special prosecutor.