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The election of the county attorney is not something that residents take likely. They want someone that they know they can count on and they want to know that after the election their concerns will be heard. They want someone who is smart on crime prevention as well as someone who can successfully handle criminal and civil cases. Being the chosen attorney after an election does involve these things, but there are also other things that the county attorney is responsible for. Read below to see what other duties are involved.

Adult Prosecution

Prosecution of adults is one of the duties that the county attorney is responsible for handling. Felony and misdemeanor crimes that occur within the county are the responsibility of the chief elected prosecutor. These felony crimes include murder, child abuse, drug offenses and sexual assault. Misdemeanor crimes include a paying a fine and less than a year in jail, and the county attorney chosen by election is also responsible for these cases as well.

Juvenile Cases

Aside from misdemeanor and felony cases, another determining factor that separates cases is whether it includes prosecution of an adult or prosecution of a juvenile. There are major differences between prosecuting adults and juveniles and county attorneys are well aware of these differences.

Types of Crime

Another deciding factor that determines the type of case despite whether you’re dealing with a juvenile or an adult is the type of crime. Crimes are typically broken down into two different categories which are crimes with victims and crimes that do not involve a victim. Common crimes that involve victims include assault or robbery, and crimes that do not involve a victim include drug charges are drunk driving charges.

Qualities Needed

Background knowledge is always helpful when determining cases and how to approach them, but case knowledge is not the only thing that makes county attorney successful. Having qualities such as strong leadership skills are vital. They must be comfortable being in the public spot light, as they are responsible for showing the public that their concerns are not only heard, but are listened to and addressed.

A sexual assault occurs once every 98 seconds in the U.S. and other crimes occur on a continuous basis making the job of the county attorney vital. With great power comes great responsibility and the county attorney is no different. The person chosen by election should have the public’s best interest at heart and be willing to address public concerns to not only tell the public of her plans, but show them as well.