Deputy State’s Attorneys
John McCarthy has appointed two experienced and dedicated professionals to be his deputies. These deputy attorneys help manage the daily activities of the office. Our two deputies also make personnel decisions, develop office and prosecutorial policy, supervise the management team, oversee professional development and training, act as liaisons with both District and Circuit Courts, and coordinate community outreach to schools, faith-based organizations, homeowners' associations, and businesses.
John was previously a deputy attorney for our office. When he was elected in 2007, he appointed John Maloney and Laura Chase as his deputy attorneys.
Laura Chase was born and raised in Montgomery County. She received her B.A. from Providence College and her J.D. from Catholic University. Laura, who has worked for this office since 1987, developed the Family Violence Division in 1997.
She served as division chief for a decade and was appointed Deputy in 2007. She serves on various work groups in Montgomery County, including the Child Fatality Review Team, the Tree House Child Assessment Center Operations Board, and the Betty Ann Krahnke Center Advisory Board. She also serves as the elected Chair of the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team and a member of the Maryland state DV Fatality Review team. In 2007, Laura was appointed to serve on Montgomery County's Domestic Violence Coordinating Council and elected Chair of the Legislative and Policy Committee.
John Maloney is a graduate of Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, Colgate University, and The University of Maryland School of Law.
John has been an Assistant State's Attorney since 1989. From 2003 to 2007, he was the Chief of the Homicide Unit for the Prince George's County State’s Attorney’s Office. During his extensive career, he has prosecuted virtually every type of crime. He has successfully prosecuted dozens of homicide cases, including State v. Robert Billet, the murder of a Prince George's County police officer slain in the line of duty, State v. Emmanual McClain, a high school student beaten to death for buying a young lady a slurpee, and the trial of State v. Dino Pantazes, a husband who hired a prostitute to murder his wife. John also successfully prosecuted the first stalking case in Maryland.
John McCarthy was the first State’s Attorney to specifically assign a prosecutor to work with the Montgomery County Police Department’s Major Crimes Cold Case Unit. In January 2007, he assigned a senior prosecutor to work part-time with the cold case detectives to assist in the investigation and review of old homicide and rape cases. In January 2009, a statutory change allowing law enforcement to take DNA samples upon the arrest of certain offenders opened up another area of cold cases. The prosecutor’s office now also reviews other cold felonies, as well.
One of Mr. McCarthy’s first initiatives, in January 2007, was a program at the Police Training Academy that included placing a senior Assistant State’s Attorney at the Academy to assist in legal training. The staff at the Academy trains both the recruits and sworn officers from numerous law enforcement agencies, including the MCPD, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland National Capital Park Police, Rockville City P.D., Gaithersburg City P.D., and the Office of the Fire Marshall.
As part of the training program McCarthy initiated, Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Debra S. Grimes is now assigned and stationed at the Academy. Grimes teaches the recruits constitutional law and criminal law. She also has taught a variety of topics to investigators, field training officers, supervisors, and specialized units.
