The County Attorney and his staff are not permitted to represent or provide legal advice to private citizens. The County Attorney initiates legal actions to protect abused or neglected children and vulnerable adults, and files involuntary commitment actions to provide necessary treatment for individuals who are mentally ill, chemically dependent, or mentally handicapped.

Whenever federal welfare benefits are paid out, the County Attorney brings actions to obtain or enforce child support obligations, or to establish paternity of a child, to obtain reimbursement of these public funds. Parents not receiving federal welfare benefits may also apply for and receive these child support enforcement or paternity establishment services from the County Attorney at minimal cost.

Senior Attorney / Chief Deputy
The Senior Attorney/Chief Deputy is the chief legal advisor to the County Attorney regarding civil and criminal matters and serves as the acting County Attorney in the County Attorney’s absence. In addition, the Senior/Chief Deputy handles civil cases, supervises the Civil Division as well as other staff, coordinates office automation functions, reviews attorney performance evaluations, and organizes and conducts interviews of new attorney hires in the civil and criminal divisions. The Senior/Chief Deputy also supervises Juvenile and Protective Services.

Criminal Division
This division prosecutes adults charged with felony crimes, as well as misdemeanor and gross misdemeanors that occur in the unincorporated areas of the county and other limited areas as defined by statute. More on the Criminal Division.

Civil Division
This division assists the County Attorney in advising and representing the County Board of Commissioners and other County departments on civil legal matters. The division provides legal advice to County officials in the areas of contracts, labor law, environmental law, real estate acquisition and data privacy, among others. The division also represents the County in all civil litigation in which the County is involved. In addition, the division initiates civil litigation on behalf of the County for purposes of acquiring land for road improvements, protecting the environment through enforcement of County solid and hazardous waste ordinances, obtaining civil judgments for welfare fraud, and forfeiting property used in connection with criminal activity. 

The division also brings actions to obtain or enforce child support obligations, or to establish the paternity of a child. The division prosecutes juvenile delinquency matters involving juveniles accused of committing crimes within the County. The division also initiates petitions to protect abused or neglected children, vulnerable adults, and initiates involuntary commitment actions to provide necessary treatment for individuals who are mentally ill, chemically dependent, or mentally handicapped.