ORIGIN & FUNCTIONS

In Baltimore City, governmental offices of law include the Department of Law, the Public Defender, and the State's Attorney.

DEPARTMENT OF LAW

Heading the Department of Law, the City Solicitor serves as legal advisor to the Mayor, the City Council, and all offices, departments, boards, commissions, and other administrative services agencies of Baltimore City (City Charter, Art. VII, secs. 22-26). The City Solicitor also handles all civil litigation involving the City, its officers, or employees.

CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION

The Bureau investigates claims against or by Baltimore City government, and claims for Workmen’s Compensation filed with the State Workers’ Compensation Commission by any employee of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore. It also conducts investigations directed by the City Solicitor.

PUBLIC DEFENDER

For indigent defendants in Baltimore City, 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

[photo, 120 East Baltimore St., Baltimore, Maryland]

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).

120 East Baltimore St., Baltimore, Maryland, February 2004. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

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

Work of the Office of State's Attorney is organized under five main bureaus: Administration, Criminal Intelligence, External Affairs, Major Crimes, and Operations.

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 City; 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).

CRIMINAL INTELLIGENCE BUREAU
The Criminal Intelligence Bureau oversees six divisions: Conviction Integrity, Criminal Investigations, Criminal Strategies, Economic Crimes, Evidence Review, and Public Trust and Police Integrity.

CONVICTION INTEGRITY DIVISION

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