State's Attorneys Office

The Office of the State's Attorney has grown from a small part-time office to a collection of over 100 prosecutors, victim advocates, law clerks, investigators and several other staff members in the office today. The State's Attorney (known in some states as the DA) acts on behalf of the state to prosecute crimes ranging from traffic offenses to murder. In Anne Arundel County, State's Attorney Frank R. Weathersbee has 2 deputies and 40 Assistant State's Attorneys.

Several decades ago, the State's Attorney's Office (SAO) simply prosecuted criminal cases in the Circuit, District and Juvenile Courts. While that is still the primary function of the office, it has now expanded its role in many ways. Perhaps the biggest change has been the expansion of the Victim-Witness Services Unit. Victim Advocates help victims of crime find their way through the muddy waters of a criminal or juvenile case. More about VWSU may be found under a separate heading. This program is only one of several which help the SAO serve the public better. Over the last decade, almost a dozen programs have been established which assist the citizens of Anne Arundel County with a variety of criminal justice matters.

We are organized between 3 separate sites. The Circuit Court office, the largest, has 27 prosecutors. Additionally, administrators, victim advocates, investigators and support staff work out of this main office. Assistant State's Attorneys are assigned to various trial teams specializing in fields such as sex offenses and child abuse, violent crimes, felony drug, forfeiture, and property crimes. The Circuit Court office deals with serious misdemeanors and felonies and carry the responsibility of substantially more jail time.

The District Offices are in Annapolis and Glen Burnie. These offices have approximately 5-6 prosecutors in each, as well as advocates and support staff. District Court cases differ greatly from those of the Circuit Court: daily dockets run at a much faster pace, there are no juries, and trials rarely last more than a few hours. Typical cases in these courts involve domestic violence, drunk driving, assault, and theft.

Additional changes in the composition of a State's Attorney's Office benefit the community. In the world in which we live there is a cry for active participation in fighting crime. Preventative strategies must be formulated and maintained by prosecutors in order to forge a positive relationship with communities and remain in touch with what is happening beyond the courtroom.

Additional units in the office enable the SAO to provide the citizens of Anne Arundel County with a full range of services.