Strafford County Attorney's Office

The Office of the Strafford County Attorney is responsible for overseeing the investigation and prosecution of all criminal cases in the County. The primary responsibility of the Office, and the bulk of its workload, is the prosecution of criminal cases. By statute, RSA 7:6 and 7:34, the County Attorney serves as the Attorney General's representative in Strafford County, for the purpose of “enforc[ing] the criminal laws of the State.” Thus, the County Attorney represents the interests of the State of New Hampshire in all criminal cases in Strafford County (with the exception of murder cases, over which the Attorney General's Office has exclusive jurisdiction). This involves directing and/or reviewing criminal investigations undertaken by local and State Police; presenting evidence before the Grand Jury; reviewing and prosecuting misdemeanor cases that are appealed to the Superior Court; researching and responding to motions filed with the Court; attending depositions of witnesses and pretrial motion hearings; preparing witnesses for deposition, hearing, or trial; presenting the State’s case at trial; arguing the State’s position at the sentencing hearing; and representing the State’s position in various post-conviction proceedings, such as sentence review, motions for new trial, and habeas corpus petitions.