ORIGIN & FUNCTIONS

OFFICE OF LAW

The Office of Law is administered by the County Attorney under direct authority of the County Council (County Charter, sec. 402). The County Attorney serves as legal advisor to the County Council, and other officers and agencies of Talbot County Government, and is responsible for all legal affairs of the County's government (Councty Charter, Art. IV sec. 402).

PUBLIC DEFENDER

For indigent defendants in Talbot 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 1957, Art. 27A, secs. 1-14).

STATE'S ATTORNEY

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 cases in Talbot County in which the State may be interested (Code Criminal Procedure Article, secs. 15-101 through 15-109, 15-421).

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