ORIGIN & FUNCTIONS

In Allegany County, governmental offices of law include the County Attorney, the Public Defender, and the State's Attorney.

COUNTY ATTORNEY

To the Allegany County Board of County Commissioners and its departments, the County Attorney provides legal support, including research, review, opinions, and representation on matters pertaining to County government. The County Attorney does not offer legal advice or assistance to private entities or individual citizens.

PUBLIC DEFENDER

For indigent defendants in Allegany County, the District Public Defender provides legal representation, including related necessary services and facilities. The District Public Defender assures effective assistance and continuity of counsel to indigent accused taken into custody and indigent defendants in criminal and juvenile proceedings before Maryland courts (Code Criminal Procedure Article, secs. 16-201 through 16-213).

STATE'S ATTORNEY

Starting in 1818, duties of the State's Attorney were first carried out by the District Attorney (Chapter 146, Acts of 1817). Appointed by the Governor in each judicial district, the District Attorney prosecuted cases on behalf of the State. By 1821, the District Attorney was renamed the Deputy Attorney and was appointed by the Attorney General (Chapter 126, Acts of 1821). The office of State's Attorney was first authorized in 1851 (Constitution of 1851, Art. V, secs. 1-5).

The State's Attorney prosecutes and defends, on the part of the State, all criminal cases in Allegany County in which the State may be interested (Code Criminal Procedure Article, secs. 15-101 through 15-109, 15-402).

Aiding the State's Attorney's Office is the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FATALITY REVIEW TEAM

The Team strives to prevent deaths related to domestic violence. It promotes cooperation and coordination among agencies involved in investigating deaths related to domestic violence, and provides services to victims of domestic violence, abusers, or surviving members. The Team also seeks to develop an understanding of the causes and incidences of deaths related to domestic violence in the County; and develop plans for and recommend changes within those agencies that Team members represent (Chapter 233, Acts of 2005; Code Family Law Article, secs. 4-701 through 4-707).

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ALLEGANY COUNTY, MARYLAND