State's Attorney John McCarthy greets two citizens

John McCarthy's Biography

John McCarthy was born on March 3, 1952 in Jersey City, New Jersey, and is the oldest of six children.  John's father, John "Jack" McCarthy, now deceased, was a World War II Navy veteran who served his country in both the European and Asian theatres.  Following World War II, John's father attended Georgetown University on the GI bill.  John's Mother, Jane, also deceased, was the oldest of nine children.  Both Jack and Jane McCarthy volunteered in the community and taught to all their children the value of serving others with both compassion and honor.  It is from his parents that John integrated his parent's commitment to community values into his own career choices and community activities.

John attended both grammar school and high school in the New Jersey suburbs outside of Philadelphia.  John graduated from Camden Catholic High School in 1970 where he served as the president of the student government in his senior year.  John attended The Catholic University of America on a baseball scholarship between 1970 and 1974. 

Most importantly, John is the loving husband of Jeanette McCarthy since 1977; they are the proud parents of Patrick (26), Meaghan (24), Conor (19), and Matthew (15).

Following his graduation from The Catholic University of America, John began a six-year career as a teacher at Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Maryland.  John attended law school in the evening at the University of Baltimore between 1975 and 1979.  He became a member of the Maryland State Bar in 1979 and began his legal career in private practice before joining the State's Attorneys' Office for Prince George's County in June 1980.  The following year, John became a public defender in Montgomery County, which was then headed by former Chief Judge DeLawrence Beard.

Accomplishments & Responsibilities

John was named one of Maryland "Super Lawyers" in 2008, one of only four prosecutors so honored.  John joined the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office in February 1982 and has served as the Deputy State's Attorney for Montgomery County since 1996.  In his capacity as Deputy State's Attorney, John shared the responsibility for managing the daily operations of the State's Attorney's Office. 

John has been responsible for developing office and prosecutorial policy, supervising the management team, overseeing professional development, acting as a liaison with the county courts, and coordinating community outreach to schools, faith-based organizations, homeowners' associations, and businesses.  John was also responsible for making key personnel decisions.  John played a vital role in hiring the office's first female Deputy State's Attorney and first Asian-American prosecutor.  Moreover, he was instrumental in doubling the number of Hispanic lawyers and tripling the number of African-American lawyers in the office.  As State's Attorney, John has continued his commitment to ensuring that his office reflects the diversity of the community it serves.

John McCarthy with Clerk of the Court Loretta Knight (far left) and Maryland Delegate Susan Lee (far right) during inaugural meeeting of the Asian American Outreach Committee.

Litigation Experience & Excellence

John has been a practicing member of the Maryland Bar of the past 27 years, during which time he has maintained an active trial schedule.  John has prosecuted well over 200 major felony cases throughout his career.  Widely regarded as one of the top trial attorneys in Maryland, John has prosecuted many high profile cases, including State v. Samuel Sheinbein, James Perry, Bruman Alvarez, Gregory Tu, Garrett Wilson, and most recently Arthur Lloyd.  

John has served as a legal advisor on numerous task forces, such as the Sniper Task Force in the fall of 2002 and the task force established to examine a number of open homicides of women in Montgomery County.  In addition, he has been nominated on multiple occasions for judicial positions on both the Circuit and District courts for Montgomery County.  John has also participated in and directed overseas training programs for the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division's Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT).

Leadership in Law and in the Community

In addition to his duties as Deputy State's Attorney, John is past President of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation and the Montgomery County Bar Association from 2004 - 2005.  He is currently the Chair of the Criminal Law and Practice Section Counsel for the Maryland State Bar Association and a delegate to the American Bar Association.  John has also been a member of various committees charged with the responsibility for drafting legislation addressing, among other things, aggressive panhandling, drunk driving laws, children's safety issues related to domestic violence crimes and school safety issues.

John is an Associate Professor at Montgomery College, where he has taught since 1979.  John was a founding member of Montgomery College's Paralegal Studies Program, where he has taught Family Law, Tort Law, Business Law, Contracts Law, and Criminal Law.  John also teaches at John's Hopkins University through the Evergreen Society.  An experienced litigator, John has served as a lecturer on both the state and federal levels regarding various aspects of trial advocacy.