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Karla Smith, 240-777-7348, Team Leader, joined the State's Attorney's Office on July 31, 2000. Karla graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Government and Politics in 1991 and the University of Virginia Law School in 1995. Karla worked with Congressman Major Owens as a Staff Assistant from 1991 - 1992. During the summer of 1993, she worked as a Law Clerk for the NAACP. The following summer she worked as an Intern with our office. Karla was hired as a Special Assistant State's Attorney for Montgomery County in 1996, and remained in that position until July, 1997, when she was hired as an Assistant State's Attorney in Prince George's County. While in Prince George's County, she prosecuted District Court, Juvenile Court and Circuit Court matters. She returned to our office in July, 2000, where she continued to prosecute general felony cases, as well as child abuse, sex offense, and domestic violence felony cases. As Chief of the Family Violence Division, Karla supervises the prosecution of cases involving child abuse, elder abuse, vulnerable adult abuse, and domestic violence. Karla serves on various work groups in Montgomery County to include the Child Fatality Review Team, the Multidisciplinary Case Review Team for Criminal Child Abuse & Assault, the Elder Abuse Task Force, the Interagency Sex Offender Registry and Supervision Team, and the Case Review Team for Domestic Violence. In addition to her work as a prosecutor, Karla has been an adjunct professor at the American University and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland, Shady Grove.
Donna Fenton, 240-777-7320, Assistant Team Leader, Donna was appointed Assistant State's Attorney for Montgomery County in 2000 and assigned to the Family Violence Division, where she currently serves as Deputy Chief. Donna graduated with a Bachelor of the Arts in American History from The Catholic University of America in 1992 and received her law degree from The Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America in 1995 where she was both an Advocate and Winner of the Sutherland Cup National Appellate Advocacy Team, the National Trial Team of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, the Miller Cup Appellate Advocacy Competition, and the Trials Moot Court Competition, respectively. During law school, her work experience included an internship with the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office between 1993 and 1995 and as a clerk for the United State's Attorney's Office in Greenbelt, Maryland between 1994 and 1995. Following law school, Donna was hired as a Special Assistant State's Attorney in 1995 in Montgomery County. She was hired as an Assistant State's Attorney by the Frederick County State's Attorney's Office in 1997. During her tenure in Frederick, she served in the District Court and the Family Violence Section. In 1999, Donna left the Frederick County State's Attorney's Office and went to work as a Senior Litigation Associate with the law firm of Russell & Russell, PC in Falls Church, Virginia handling complex litigation matters in federal and State court. During her career, she has prosecuted a number of significant cases, most notably the case of Jorge Alberto Rivera-Aleman, the Silver Spring serial rapist. In that case, she secured a guilty conviction resulting in six consecutive life sentences. Donna is currently on the faculty at the National College of District Attorneys, at the American Prosecutor's Research Institute and presents regularly at the Mid-Atlantic Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect on the Successful Prosecution of Shaken Baby Syndrome. She also trains the pediatric, forensic nurses for the Maryland Pediatric Forensic Nurse Association, Johns Hopkins University, School of Nursing, and sponsored by the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital.
Debbie Feinstein, 240-777-7448, joined the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office as an Assistant State's Attorney on April 10, 2000. Ms. Feinstein graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Government and Near Eastern Studies in 1992. She received her law degree in 1997 from The George Washington University Law School. In 1995, she served as a Law Clerk for the United States Attorney's Office, District of Maryland, Southern Division. She also served as a Law Clerk for The Honorable Glenn T. Harrell, Jr., from 1997 to 1998. From 1998 to 2000, Ms. Feinstein worked as an Associate for Crowell & Moring LLP in Washington, D.C. Since joining the State's Attorney's Office, Ms. Feinstein has prosecuted cases in both the District and Circuit Courts. She is currently a member of the Family Violence Unit, and she spent several years exclusively prosecuting domestic violence cases. Her current assignment includes the prosecution of felony domestic violence, physical child abuse, sexual child abuse, elder abuse, and abuse of vulnerable adults. Ms. Feinstein has attended several national trainings focusing on domestic and sexual violence.
Jessica Hall, 240-777-7453, Jessica Hall joined the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office as a Special Assistant State’s Attorney on July 21, 2003. Jessica attended the University of Maryland where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1999. In 2002, she graduated with Honors from the University of Maryland School of Law. During the summer of 2000, Jessica served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Peter J. Messitte, United State District Court. In 2003, Jessica served as a law clerk for the Honorable Glenn T. Harrell, Jr., Court of Appeals. Jessica is currently a member of the Family Violence Division, and the designated Elder Abuse prosecutor for the office.
Keith Jacobson, 240-777-7352, joined the State's Attorney's Office on February 28, 2000, as a Special Assistant State's Attorney. Keith graduated from George Washington University in 1984 with a degree in Political Science received his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1999. Keith served with the United States Army between 1976 and 2004. In addition to his military service, Keith has served as a Special Agent with the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security. He completed internships with the U.S. Attorney's Office and State's Attorney's Office and worked as an attorney/advisor with the Social Security Administration. Keith is currently assigned to the Family Violence Division.
Amanda Michalski, 240-777-7452, began working as a Legal Assistant in the Family Violence Unit on October 17,2005. In May of 2006, she began working as a Special Assistant State’s Attorney. Amanda graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Sociology in 2001. From 2001 to 2002, she worked for the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence in Boulder, Colorado. Amanda received her law degree from American University, Washington College of Law in 2005. From February to May of 2005, Amanda interned as a Screener with the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office Family Violence Unit. Amanda is assigned to the Wheaton-Glenmont District Court Team.
Patrick Mays, 240-777-7385, began working as an Assistant State's Attorney on August 1, 2005. Patrick graduated from Tulane University with a degree in Management in 2001. In 2004, he received his law degree from The College of William and Mary School of Law. In the summer of 2002, Patrick interned with the Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office as a Domestic Violence Screener. In 2003, he worked as a Law Clerk with the United States Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. From 2004 to 2005 Patrick served as a Law Clerk to The Honorable Nelson W. Rupp, Jr. Currently, Patrick works as a prosecutor on the Family Violence Division, handling the Domestic Violence Docket.
Billy McMurtrie, 240-777-7418, joined the State's Attorney's Office in the fall of 2002 after clerking for the Honorable Michael D. Mason in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County. He graduated from Notre Dame Law School in 2001 and received his B.A. degree from Boston College in 1992. Before entering Notre Dame Law, he taught fifth grade for 6 years at Mater Dei School in Bethesda, Md. Billy has handled cases originating in District Court, appeals from District Court, Instant Jury Demands, and school related offense in Juvenile Court.
Danielle Sartwell, 240-777-7420, will begin working as a Special Assistant State's Attorney on March 5,2007. Danielle graduated from Frostburg State University in 2003 with a degree in Political Science and Justice Studies. She received her law degree in 2006 from the University of Baltimore School of Law. In the summer of 2005, Danielle worked as an Intern with our office in the Domestic Violence Division. She was a Rule 16 Student for the Office of the Public Defender, Juvenile Division, in Baltimore, during the fall of 2005. In 2003 and 2004, Danielle interned for the Honorable Lynn Battaglia and Senator Patrick Hogan. Most recently, she worked as a Judicial Intern for the Honorable Michael Algeo.
Ryan S. Wechsler, 240-777-7367, joined the State's Attorney's Office as an Assistant State's Attorney on December 13, 2000. Ryan graduated from the University of Michigan in 1997 and received her law degree from the New York University School of Law in May of 2000. In 1999, she worked as a Law Clerk for the United States Attorney's Office and the Public Defender Service in Washington, D.C. From September of 1999, to May of 2000, she worked in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office as a Student Assistant District Attorney prosecuting misdemeanor offenses and assisting in the prosecution of felony offenses. In December of 2000, Ryan began prosecuting cases in the District Court until she joined the Family Violence Unit's Domestic Violence Unit. Ryan is currently assigned to the Family Violence team.
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