what acts as the state's lawyer and represents the commonwealth in court

by Maud Daniel 4 min read

In the United States, a district attorney (DA), state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a local government area, typically a county or a group of counties.

Who is the Virginia Commonwealth Attorney?

Heather Hovermale, Commonwealth's Attorney.

Who is the commonwealth attorney for Roanoke County?

Commonwealth's AttorneyStaffNameTitlePhoneHolohan, BrianCommonwealth's Attorney540-387-6174Lavinder, AaronAssistant Commonwealth's Attorney540-387-6174Jones, AnneVictim-Witness Director540-387-6181

What attorney represented the state of Texas?

Ken Paxton is the 51st Attorney General of Texas. He was elected on November 4, 2014, and sworn into office on January 5, 2015. He was re-elected to a second term in 2018. As the state's top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Paxton leads more than 4,000 employees in 38 divisions and 117 offices around Texas.

Who is the commonwealth attorney in Richmond Virginia?

Commonwealth's Attorney Shannon Taylor and her staff provide speakers for schools, parent-teacher-associations, civic and neighborhood groups, churches, mosques, synagogues, and other community groups on the role of the Commonwealth Attorney's Office, the criminal justice system, crime prevention, and provides ...

Who represents the state of Texas in criminal cases?

district attorney7. "Each district attorney shall represent the State in all criminal cases in the district courts of his district and in appeals therefrom, except in cases where he has been, before his election, employed adversely.

Who is the comptroller for the state of Texas?

Glenn HegarTexas Comptroller of Public AccountsCurrent OfficeholderGlenn HegarElectionsNext election:November 8, 202214 more rows

What is state prosecutor?

The prosecutor is the principal representative of the state in all matters related to the adjudication of criminal offenses. He has a hand in virtually every decision made in the legal course of every case that comes before the criminal courts.

What does the attorney general do in Virginia?

The Attorney General of Virginia is a publicly elected executive official in the Virginia state government. The attorney general provides legal advice and representation for all state agencies.

Who is Chesterfield County Commonwealth Attorney?

Davenport, StaceyHoursStaffNameTitlePhoneDavenport, StaceyCommonwealth's Attorney804-748-1221Barr, ErinJuvenile Drug Court Contact804-751-4926Easton, GeoffAdut Drug Court Contact - Chesterfield Office804-751-49243 more rows

Purpose

The Commonwealth’s Attorney represents the Commonwealth of Virginia as prosecutor in the General District Court, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, the Circuit Court, and in the Court of Appeals.

Duties

The Commonwealth’s Attorney is an elected, Constitutional, sworn law-enforcement official, independent in his duties from the County and State. His duties, responsibilities, and privileges are set out in the State Constitution, the Code of Virginia, and are supplemented by local ordinances. His main duty is the prosecution of criminal cases.

Additional Responsibilities

The Commonwealth’s Attorney also acts as a legal advisor on criminal issues for many State and local law enforcement agencies, such as the:

What is a Commonwealth's Attorney?

States that refer to themselves as commonwealths, such as Virginia and Kentucky, refer to them as Commonwealth's Attorneys [source: Commonwealth's Attorneys Services Council ]. State's Attorneys generally represent a defined geographic area, such as a county, judicial district or judicial circuit. These generally hold the title ...

How are state attorneys elected?

In general, State's Attorneys are elected by the people they represent. Their duties are spelled out in the laws of the local governments they represent, and they're held accountable by the voters for how well they do their jobs and how well their performance matches up with the local politics of the area. But a State's Attorney hardly ever does ...

How do police arrest a suspect?

First, police file a warrant or charging request with the State's Attorney following an investigation. Attorneys review the request and may decide to issue a warrant, which allows the police to arrest the suspect. An arraignment in court follows, at which the suspect is formally charged with a crime and enters a plea.

What is the job of a criminal prosecutor?

Criminal prosecutions are the chief duty of most State's Attorney offices. In many states, such as Michigan, criminal prosecutions follow a predetermined series of steps [source: Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan ]. First, police file a warrant or charging request with the State's Attorney following an investigation.

How many states have grand jury indictments?

About half the 50 states use grand jury indictments in criminal prosecutions. Grand juries hear cases brought by State's Attorneys, and only the evidence and witnesses presented by the State's Attorney are considered.

What is a prosecutor?

A State's Attorney is the most common term for a prosecutor, someone who represents the people in criminal and civil legal matters. But while the most iconic image of a State's Attorney is ...

What happens before a trial?

Before a trial takes place, the process of discovery takes place, at which the State's Attorney and the defense attorney share information they intend to introduce as evidence at trial.