Joseph is a lifetime resident of Kenton County. He attended Covington Catholic High School and the University of Kentucky. In 1970, he joined the Covington Police Department and retired in 1995 as Chief of Police. He worked as a Paramedic for St. Elizabeth (1995-2005) and then as a Field Medic for the Independence Fire Department (2005-2016). He also taught for twenty years as a part-time adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati teaching law enforcement and pre-hospital care.
Joseph became a Deputy Coroner in 2016. He's received training through Kentucky Law Enforcement, the University of Eastern Kentucky, the University of Virginia and the FBI.