what is a district attorney in maryland

by Ethel Murphy 3 min read

Maryland District Attorneys Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last updated February 25, 2019 A District Attorney or State's Attorney (or simply "prosecutor") is the prosecuting officer of a criminal case (i.e., the official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses).

Full Answer

Who is the district attorney of Maryland?

Feb 25, 2019 · A District Attorney (D.A.) is the prosecuting officer of a criminal case (i.e., the official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses). Get the contact information for your Maryland prosecuting attorney and more at …

What does a district attorney do?

District Attorney Offices. Maryland. There are 23 District Attorney Offices in Maryland, serving a population of 5,996,079 people in an area of 9,707 square miles. There is 1 District Attorney Office per 260,699 people, and 1 District Attorney Office per 422 square miles. The state of Maryland is ranked 40th in District Attorney Offices per capita, and 8th in District Attorney …

Is the district attorney a local prosecutor?

The State's Attorney presents the state's case in traffic and criminal trials in District Court. In the area of criminal law, the responsibility of prosecuting all criminal cases generally rests with the State’s Attorney for the jurisdiction in which the offense occurred.

How many district courts are in Maryland?

District of Maryland AUSAs/AFPDs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Assistant Federal Public Defenders appointed in the District of Maryland and not already members of the Court’s bar may receive permission to file electronically for the duration of their employment in the District of Maryland. These attorneys must complete the Request for Special Appearance and CM/ECF …

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What does the District Attorney do?

A district attorney is a public official who is appointed or elected to represent the state in criminal judicial proceedings in a particular judicial district or county; an appointed or elected officer who prosecutes cases in a particular judicial district.

Is a District Attorney a lawyer?

The D.A. or District Attorney is a lawyer in the U.S. who works for the state and prosecutes people on behalf of it. There are also, of course, defense attorneys in America who act on behalf of their clients.

Does Maryland have district attorneys?

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland was established by the federal Judiciary Act of 1789.

Who is the DA in Maryland?

Erek BarronSince October 2021, the United States Attorney for the District of Maryland is Erek Barron. The United States District Court for the District of Maryland has jurisdiction over all cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney.

What does it take to be a district attorney?

An aspiring D.A. will have to earn an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited bachelor's degree, go to law school, complete an internship, pass the bar, get trial experience, and finally, succeed in enough cases to become selected as the district attorney.

Who is above the district attorney?

The state attorney general is the highest law enforcement officer in state government and often has the power to review complaints about unethical and illegal conduct on the part of district attorneys.

How much does a DA make?

How much does a District Attorney make? The average District Attorney in the US makes $77,118. The average bonus for a District Attorney is $7,054 which represents 9% of their salary, with 100% of people reporting that they receive a bonus each year.

What is the term of the Maryland attorney general?

The Attorney General of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the state of Maryland. The attorney general is popularly elected by Maryland voters in federal midterm years and serves four-year terms without term limits.

Who is the District Attorney for Baltimore?

The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office - Meet Marilyn J. Mosby.

Who is the youngest district attorney?

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Marilyn Mosby (née James; born January 22, 1980) is an American politician and lawyer who has been the State's Attorney for Baltimore since 2015. She is the youngest chief prosecutor of any major American city.

How many states attorneys are there in Maryland?

Our 98 Assistant United States Attorneys and 73 support personnel are committed to excellence, integrity and achievement. Employees are organized into Civil, Criminal and Administrative Divisions and based in two offices, the Northern Division in Baltimore and the Southern Division in Greenbelt.Apr 13, 2022

Who is the youngest prosecutor?

Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Marilyn Mosby (née James; born January 22, 1980) is an American politician and lawyer who has been the State's Attorney for Baltimore since 2015. She is the youngest chief prosecutor of any major American city.

What is a district attorney?

In the United States, a district attorney ( DA ), state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a local government area, typically a county. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state.

What is an assistant district attorney?

The assistant district attorney (assistant DA, ADA) (or state prosecutor or assistant state's attorney) is a law enforcement official who represents the state government on behalf of the district attorney in investigating and prosecuting individuals alleged to have committed a crime. In carrying out their duties to enforce state and local laws, ...

What is a DA?

In the United States, a district attorney ( DA ), state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a local government area, typically a county. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state.

What is the role of a prosecutor?

In carrying out their duties, prosecutors have the authority to investigate persons, grant immunity to witnesses and accused criminals, and plea bargain with defendants. A district attorney leads a staff of prosecutors, who are most commonly known as deputy district attorneys (DDAs).

What does a county attorney do?

For example, in Arizona, Missouri, Montana, and Minnesota a county attorney represents the county and state within their county, prosecutes all felonies occurring within the county, and prosecutes misdemeanors occurring within unincorporated areas of the county.

Is the salary of an ADA lower than the salary of an elected DA?

The salary of an ADA will be lower than the elected DA. The non-monetary benefits of the job induce many to work as an ADA; these include the opportunity to amass trial experience, perform a public service, and network professionally.

You're Not Alone

The Victim & Witness Services Unit of the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City serves the victims and witnesses of all crimes that occur in Baltimore City regardless of the case status or outcome. Learn more about our services.

Effective Prosecution of Crime

The mission of the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City is to safeguard communities in Baltimore City through the effective prosecution of crime. Read to learn more about our latest convictions.

Investing in the Community

The Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City takes a holistic approach to fighting crime, keeping the community informed, investing in Baltimore’s youth before they encounter the criminal justice system and providing second-chance opportunities to first-time nonviolent offenders. Find us in a community near year.

Public Trust and Police Integrity

The Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City is the only prosecutorial office in Maryland to post investigation summaries where the office has declined to charge an officer after a police-involved use of force investigation. Read the declination reports and summaries which detail the explanation and rationale for each decision.

Who is Marilyn Mosby?

Boston College ( JD) Website. Official website. Marilyn Mosby (née James; born January 22, 1980) is an American politician and lawyer who serves as the State's Attorney for Baltimore since 2015. She is the youngest chief prosecutor of any major American city.

Who did Mosby prosecute?

Since her administration began in January 2015, she has successfully prosecuted a number of high-profile defendants, including Darryl Anderson, Capone Chase, Nelson Clifford, Mustafa Eraibi, and Cornell Harvey.

What was the complaint against WBFF?

In May 2021, Mosby's office filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission against Baltimore television station WBFF, which had been critical of Mosby, alleging the station's coverage of her office was "blatantly slanted , dishonest, misleading, racist, and extremely dangerous". The complaint also stated, "We welcome being held accountable, and we support First Amendment freedom of speech." WBFF responded that its journalism was in the public interest, and "it's not always popular with the individuals and institutions upon which we are shining a light".

Where was Marilyn Mosby born?

Early life. Born Marilyn James in Massachusetts, she was raised in Dorchester, Boston by her grandparents. Her mother, Linda Thompson, was 17 when Mosby was born. Her mother and father both served as police officers; her family traces its association with the police for two generations, as her grandfather was one of the first African-American ...

Where did Lisa Mosby work?

Mosby served as a law clerk and as Assistant State's Attorney for Baltimore from 2005 to 2011. Before that she had held a series of legal internships in Boston while in law school.

Did Kate Mosby do anything wrong?

Though she maintained she did nothing wrong, Mosby asked city Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming to investigate. Cumming found Mosby was out of town for 144 workdays in 2018 and 2019, did not report 15 out-of-town trips to the Board of Estimates and used LLCs she claimed to be dormant as tax write-offs. City Solicitor Jim Shea issued his own assessment, finding that administrative rules are unclear and that Mosby did nothing wrong in regards to her travel.

Did Mosby overcharge the police?

David Jaros, an associate professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law, was reported as saying that Mosby quite possibly overcharged the officers, while noting this is absolutely typical in criminal cases involving defendants who are not police.

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Overview

Nomenclature

The name of the role of local prosecutor may vary by state or jurisdiction based on whether they serve a county or a multi-county district, the responsibility to represent the state or county in addition to prosecution, or local historical customs.
District attorney and assistant district attorney are the most common titles for state prosecutors, and are used by jurisdictions within the United States including California, Delaware, Georgia, Mas…

History

This term for a prosecutor originates with the traditional use of the term "district" for multi-county prosecutorial jurisdictions in several U.S. states. For example, New York appointed prosecutors to multi-county districts prior to 1813. Even after those states broke up such districts and started appointing or electing prosecutors for individual counties, they continued to use the title "district attorney" for the most senior prosecutor in a county rather than switch to "county attorney".

Role

The principal duties of the district attorney are usually mandated by law and include representing the State in all criminal trials for crimes which occurred in the district attorney's geographical jurisdiction. The geographical jurisdiction of a district attorney may be delineated by the boundaries of a county, judicial circuit, or judicial district.
Their duties generally include charging crimes through informationsand/or grand jury indictment…

Departments

The district attorney usually divides their services into several departments that handle different areas of criminal law. Each department is staffed by several duly appointed and sworn ASAs. The departments of a large district attorney's office may include but are not limited to: felony, misdemeanor, domestic violence, traffic, juvenile, charging (or case filing), drug prosecution, forfeitures, civil affairs such as eminent domain, child advocacy, child support, victim assistance…

Assistant district attorney

The assistant district attorney (assistant DA, ADA) (or state prosecutor or assistant state's attorney) is a law enforcement official who represents the state government on behalf of the district attorney in investigating and prosecuting individuals alleged to have committed a crime. In carrying out their duties to enforce state and local laws, ADA have the authority to investigate persons, is…

Appeals

Depending on state law, appeals are moved to appellate courts (also called appeals courts, courts of appeals, superior courts, or supreme courts in some states). During the appeals process district attorneys, in many cases, hands all relative prosecutorial materials to a state appellate prosecutor who in turn will represent the state in appellate courts with the advice and consent of the district attorney.

District attorney investigators

Some district attorneys maintain their own law enforcement arm whose members are sworn peace officers. Depending on the jurisdiction, they are referred to as district attorney investigators or county detectives.