Mission Statement

The State's Attorney's Office is a constitutionally-created independent agency. The mission of the State's Attorney's Office is to serve the public interest through the fair and honest administration of justice by exercising its responsibilities to:

• Prosecute criminal violations in Montgomery County;
• Educate the public concerning criminal justice issues;
• Provide training to lawyers for future service;
• Address inequality and promote fairness in the criminal justice system;
• Ensure access to the criminal justice system;
• Promote professional relations with judges and attorneys; and
• Further the efficient use of criminal justice resources.

Budget Overview

The total approved FY25 Operating Budget for the State's Attorney's Office is $25,104,998, an increase of $2,981,416 or 13.48 percent from the FY24 Approved Budget of $22,123,582. Personnel Costs comprise 94.96 percent of the budget for 162 full-time position(s) and eight part-time position(s), and a total of 167.25 FTEs. Total FTEs may include seasonal or temporary positions and may also reflect workforce charged to or from other departments or funds. Operating Expenses account for the remaining 5.04 percent of the FY25 budget.

Consistent with the County Charter, the County Executive makes recommendations on the operating budget for all County departments, offices, and agencies. However, recognizing the Charter-defined roles, the County Executive defers significantly to Legislative and Judicial Branch agencies on their budget priorities.

County Priority Outcomes

While this program area supports all eight of the County Result Areas, the following is emphasized:

• Safe Neighborhoods

Program Performance Measures

Performance measures for this department are included below (where applicable), with multi-program measures displayed at the front of this section and program-specific measures shown with the relevant program. The FY24 estimates reflect funding based on the FY24 approved budget. The FY25 and FY26 figures are performance targets based on the FY25 approved budget and funding for comparable service levels in FY26.

Initiatives

• Create a new Evidence Review Unit to enhance digital evidence processing to facilitate the redaction, upload, and review of digital evidence.

Innovations and Productivity Improvements

• PROSECUTORbyKarpel (PbK) Prosecutor Case Management System (PCMS) was installed on June 12, 2023, and is the primary repository for all case-related information (reports, documents, statistics, body worn camera and surveillance videos, cell phone and computer data dumps) and eDiscovery material for the prosecution of cases within the Circuit and District Courts. The PbK system also contains an electronic eDiscovery portal which allows the Assistant State's Attorneys and discovery teams to electronically assemble and send discovery material to defense attorneys.

• During the 2023 calendar year, the State's Attorney's Office had law students, undergraduate students, and high school students who volunteered their time to the office. These students worked a total of 25,186 hours which equates to over 12 full-time positions.
• In partnership with Prosecutorial Performance Indicators and researchers at the University of Maryland, Towson University, and George Mason University, the State's Attorney's Office conducted a study on criminal prosecution in Montgomery County. The "Final Report on Racial Justice in Prosecution in Montgomery County" details key findings, study methodology, descriptive results, statistical analysis, and recommendations. The office will maintain a data dashboard including key graphics and highlights.

Program Descriptions

  Administration

Staff provides central services in areas of budget, personnel, automated systems management, general office management, and public information. In addition, staff coordinates efforts and initiatives with other criminal justice agencies....

  Prosecution Management

Prosecution Management staff coordinate case loads, schedule docket assignments, receive visitors, direct phone calls, and enter and audit data in the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) for the Circuit, District, and Juvenile Courts....

  Circuit Court Prosecution

The Circuit Court Prosecution program reviews cases for possible filing in the Circuit Court by presenting these cases to the Grand Jury for indictment or filing a Circuit Court information (charging document). After charges are filed, the State's Attorney's Office litigates these cases to disposition. Senior Assistant State's Attorneys provide...

  Major Fraud and Special Investigations

The Major Fraud and Special Investigations Division investigates allegations of complex financial crimes such as real estate and other business investment fraud schemes for which the Police Department is unable to provide investigative resources. The division also investigates allegations of thefts involving attorneys stealing from clients, financial exploitation of elderly...

  Victim/Witness Court Assistance

This program assists victims in criminal cases that have been designated as "victim-intensive" by virtue of the vulnerability of the victim or the type of crime. Victims receive direct court assistance from a Victim/Witness Coordinator. The coordinator guides the victim through the judicial process, provides assistance where necessary, and makes...

  District Court Prosecution

The District Court Prosecution program prosecutes criminal cases including misdemeanor arrests, citizen complaints, and serious or incarcerable traffic offenses. The State's Attorney's Office has also implemented a Domestic Violence docket in District Court to ensure that assault cases of a domestic nature and violations of protective orders are given special...

  District Court Screening and Mediation

The District Court Screening program resolves cases before the trial date by contacting victims and witnesses to determine what outcome they would like to obtain from the criminal justice system. This program relies on volunteers and is supervised by permanent staff. It provides victim/witness assistance by delivering information about the...

  Juvenile Court Prosecution

The Juvenile Court Prosecution program prosecutes criminal violations committed by juvenile offenders in Montgomery County, and performs a preliminary review of all cases in which a juvenile is charged with a violent crime. This includes cases which have been reviewed by the Juvenile Services Administration and then referred to the...