Budget & Training

The State's Attorney's Office budget for Fiscal Year 2009 includes local funding in the amount of $6,685,857. Additionally, the office has been awarded grant funds from federal, and state sources of $245,289. Over 96 percent of the budget goes to salary and benefits for the 71 staff members in the office. The budget is financed by Howard County and goes through the annual process of submission by the County Executive to the County Council with the opportunity for public comment.

The County budget for the Office provides money for all prosecution support such as expert witnesses and lab testing of blood and evidence. The budget also includes support for staff education and training. These resources, however, are limited. The State's Attorney's Office has been fortunate to receive scholarships for lawyers to attend the Career Prosecutors' Course at the National College of District Attorneys in Charleston, South Carolina. The Office has also benefitted from other grant-funded training opportunities and attempts to identify additional funding for training.

Training for attorneys is essential to provide the skills and knowledge for them to be successful litigators. Some of the highlights of this training include the following:

National College of District Attorneys:

• Career Prosecutors Course
• Experienced Prosecutors Course
• Executive Prosecutors Course

• Community Prosecutors Course
• Juvenile Justice
• Child Abuse
• Domestic Violence

• White Collar Crime

National Advocacy Center: (Columbia, SC)

• Prosecuting Impaired Drivers
• Trial Advocacy I
• Intermediate Trial Advocacy
• Advanced Trial Advocacy
• Juvenile Justice Leadership