The County Attorney’s Office plays a unique role in our criminal justice system. Our attorneys review and determines charging for all felonies in the county and misdemeanors in the unincorporated areas of the county. We also handle juvenile criminal cases, which are adjudicated by a judge as opposed to adult criminal cases, which are decided by a jury.

The County Attorney is also the attorney for the county, providing legal services for the County Board of Supervisors and all County departments and agencies.

The Maricopa County Attorney is an elected office, and the County Attorney is Allister Adel. Appointed in October 2019 her priorities are to:

• Protect the rights of victims and hold criminals accountable.
• Ensure efficient operations and improvements based on evidence-based practices.
• Develop collaborative relationships with organizations, businesses, and the community.

Maricopa County is the fourth largest county in the US by population, with nearly 4 million residents within our jurisdiction. You’ve probably seen the news reports, that ours is also the fastest-growing county in the nation. So, it’s not surprising that MCAO is the third-largest public prosecutor’s office in the U.S., just behind the Cook County District Attorney’s Office in the metro Chicago area and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. We handle well over 30,000 cases per year.

Most of the cases we prosecute are handled through one of our eight, geographically organized, Trial Bureaus. This approach allows our prosecutors to build relationships and work in partnership with local law enforcement, community groups, schools, and citizens to address the issues specific to their area.

However, crimes requiring specific expertise are handled by one of eleven specialized crime bureaus staffed with prosecutors with specialized experience, such as White Collar Offenses, Family Violence, Sex Crimes, and Capital Litigation etc.

Our 1000+ employees, including 300+ Deputy County Attorneys, are dedicated to reducing crime in our community and keeping families safe.