The County Attorney serves as legal advisor to the Board of County Commissioners, and other officers and agencies of Garrett County Government, and is responsible for all legal affairs of the County's government.
For indigent defendants in Garrett 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).
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 Garrett County in which the State may be interested (Code Criminal Procedure Article, secs. 15-101 through 15-109, 15-412).
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FATALITY REVIEW TEAM
In Garrett County, the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team was established in May 2007. The purpose of the Team is to prevent deaths related to domestic violence by promoting cooperation and coordination among agencies involved in investigating deaths related to domestic violence, or providing services to victims of domestic violence, abusers, or surviving members. The Team 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 members represent (Chapter 233, Acts of 2005; Code Family Law Article, secs. 4-701 through 4-707).