Assistant State's Attorney- Special Victims

State Attorney's Office, Prince George's County; Upper Marlboro (MD); On-site; USD 88,000 - 166,000; Full time

Job summary

The Special Victims Unit (SVU) within the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office seeks an Assistant State’s Attorney to prosecute crimes involving vulnerable victims, including child abuse, domestic violence, sexual offenses, and trafficking, across District, Circuit, and Juvenile Courts.

You will collaborate with law enforcement, CAC MDT, medical professionals, and community partners to investigate, prepare, and prosecute complex cases with compassion and integrity.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Admission to the Maryland Bar and in good standing.
• Minimum of three (3) years of criminal litigation experience, felony prosecutions preferred.
• Knowledge of Maryland criminal law, procedures, rules of evidence, and victims' rights.
• Experience prosecuting complex felony cases involving vulnerable victims preferred.
• Strong legal research, negotiation, and persuasive writing skills.

Responsibilities

• Review felony investigations involving child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, trafficking, and related crimes.
• Review police reports, forensic interviews, medical records, and other materials to determine merit.
• Prepare pleadings, motions, subpoenas, discovery responses, and other court filings.
• Prepare cases for indictment and prosecution in District, Circuit, and Juvenile Courts.
• Maintain communication with victims and families regarding case developments and services.
• Collaborate with CAC MDT and other partners to coordinate services beyond prosecution.
• Negotiate plea agreements consistent with policy and victim interests.
• Litigate motions hearings, evidentiary hearings, juvenile proceedings, trials, and sentencing.

Skills

Criminal litigation

Trauma-informed advocacy

Legal research

Negotiation

Courtroom communication

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Maryland Bar admission

Job description

Unit Overview

SVU is a specialized litigation division within the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office responsible for prosecuting crimes involving vulnerable victims and offenses requiring a trauma-informed, multidisciplinary approach. ASAs assigned to this unit prosecute physical and sexual child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, child sexual abuse material (CSAM), human trafficking, vulnerable adult abuse, family violence homicides, abusive head trauma cases, and juvenile matters in the District Court, Circuit Court, and Juvenile Court. The unit is committed to protecting victims, holding offenders accountable, and promoting justice through compassionate, victim-centered prosecution.

SVU ASAs work collaboratively with law enforcement agencies, child advocacy professionals, victim service providers, medical experts, forensic interviewers, community organizations, and the judiciary to investigate, prepare, and prosecute complex and highly sensitive criminal cases. The unit serves as an integral member of the County's Child Advocacy Center Multidisciplinary Team (CAC MDT) and actively participates in collaborative partnerships, including the Domestic Fatality Review Team (DFRT), Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (DVCC), Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), Human Trafficking Committee, and the Family Justice Center. ASAs assigned to the unit are expected to demonstrate exceptional legal judgment, trauma-informed advocacy, advanced litigation skills, and a strong commitment to serving victims throughout the criminal justice process.

Primary Responsibilities

ASAs assigned to the Special Victims Unit are responsible for:

• Reviewing and prosecuting felony investigations involving child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, vulnerable adult abuse, child sexual abuse material, family violence homicides, abusive head trauma, juvenile offenses, and related crimes.
• Reviewing police reports, forensic interviews, medical records, digital evidence, body-worn camera footage, witness statements, and other investigative materials to determine prosecutorial merit.
• Conducting legal research and preparing pleadings, motions, subpoenas, discovery responses, and other court filings.
• Preparing felony cases for indictment and prosecution in the District Court, Circuit Court, and Juvenile Court, as appropriate.
• Maintaining regular communication with victims and their families regarding case developments, court proceedings, available services, and victim rights.
• Preparing victims, child witnesses, law enforcement officers, forensic interviewers, medical professionals, and expert witnesses for court testimony.
• Collaborating with the Child Advocacy Center Multidisciplinary Team (CAC MDT) throughout investigations involving child abuse.
• Participating in multidisciplinary case review meetings and coordinating with community partners to ensure victims receive comprehensive services beyond the prosecution of criminal cases.
• Working collaboratively with the Family Justice Center, Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (DVCC), Domestic Fatality Review Team (DFRT), Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), Human Trafficking Committee, and other community organizations.
• Negotiating plea agreements consistent with Office policies, victim interests, and the interests of justice.
• Litigating motions hearings, suppression hearings, evidentiary hearings, juvenile proceedings, jury trials, bench trials, and sentencing proceedings.
• Ensuring compliance with constitutional disclosure obligations and the Maryland Rules of Criminal Procedure.
• Maintaining accurate case documentation and timely updating case management systems.
• Performing other prosecutorial duties as assigned by supervisory staff.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

ASAs assigned to the Special Victims Unit should possess the ability to:

• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of Maryland Criminal Law, the Maryland Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Maryland Rules of Evidence, constitutional law, victims' rights, and statutes governing child abuse, domestic violence, sexual offenses, human trafficking, juvenile matters, and vulnerable adult abuse.
• Apply ethical prosecutorial standards and constitutional discovery obligations throughout all stages of prosecution.
• Conduct advanced legal research and prepare clear, concise, and persuasive legal pleadings, motions, and memoranda.
• Analyze complex investigative materials, forensic interviews, medical records, psychological evaluations, digital evidence, and witness statements to make informed prosecutorial decisions.
• Prepare and litigate complex felony motions, juvenile proceedings, evidentiary hearings, bench trials, jury trials, and sentencing hearings.
• Exercise sound prosecutorial discretion, critical thinking, and independent judgment in highly sensitive and emotionally complex criminal matters.
• Utilize trauma-informed interviewing and victim-centered prosecution practices when working with children, victims of violence, and vulnerable adults.
• Communicate professionally and compassionately with victims, families, law enforcement personnel, forensic interviewers, medical professionals, social service agencies, defense counsel, judges, court personnel, and community partners.
• Build and maintain collaborative working relationships with multidisciplinary teams and victim service organizations.
• Effectively manage a high-volume specialized felony caseload while meeting statutory deadlines, discovery obligations, and court schedules.
• Adapt to evolving legislation, case law, prosecutorial policies, trauma-informed best practices, and courtroom procedures.
• Demonstrate exceptional courtroom advocacy, professionalism, integrity, organization, empathy, and attention to detail while handling complex and sensitive criminal prosecutions.

Minimum Qualifications

(Each progressive SAO Classification has substantially more stringent minimum qualifications)

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Admission to the Maryland Bar and in good standing.
• Minimum of three (3) years of criminal litigation experience, with felony prosecution experience preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Maryland Criminal Law, the Maryland Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Maryland Rules of Evidence, constitutional law, victims' rights, and laws governing child abuse, domestic violence, sexual offenses, juvenile matters, and human trafficking.
• Experience prosecuting complex felony cases involving vulnerable victims or other serious criminal offenses is preferred.
• Strong legal research, analytical reasoning, negotiation, and persuasive legal writing skills.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage a specialized felony caseload while exercising sound prosecutorial discretion and legal judgment.
• Experience working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, victim service providers, law enforcement agencies, medical professionals, and community partners.
• Excellent courtroom advocacy, communication, organizational, and case management skills.
• Ability to work effectively with victims of trauma while maintaining professionalism, empathy, confidentiality, and the highest ethical standards.

Salary Range

Individual salaries are set based on budget and experience within the minimum and maximum defined above. ASAs are also eligible for all County benefits including enrollment in healthcare, life insurance, a defined benefit pension plan, optional 457 deferred compensation plan, and other elective benefits.

SAO 1 $88,100.00 to $139,725.00

SAO 4 $104,670.00 to $166,347.00

Prince George’s County Government is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, Committed to Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace