Felony Intake Division

Cases received by the State Attorney's Office from law enforcement are initially reviewed by the Felony Intake Division of the State Attorney's Office. The intake division comprises a Division Chief who is primarily responsible for the presentation of first degree murder cases before the Grand Jury; additional attorneys, all with felony trial experience, review and make filing decisions on cases as they are received in the office. In addition, since 1986 these attorneys have been assigned to work with specific law enforcement agencies, and have scheduled weekly visits to their assigned police departments, to meet with victims and witnesses of crime, and to review and advise officers on cases during the investigation process.

Once the Felony Intake Division has made a charging decision on a case, the case is forwarded to the appropriate trial division (felony or misdemeanor).

Sex crimes and child abuse cases are handled by a specialized felony division within the State Attorney's Office, and an experienced felony attorney performs the intake function on those types of cases. Once a charging decision on a sex crime or child abuse case has been made, a felony trial attorney within that specialized division handles the case.