Anthony “Tony” Covington (D) has seen quite a few changes in Charles County’s state’s attorney’s office over the past decade.
Covington, who was elected to the office in 2010 and re-elected in 2014 and 2018, said a lot of ideas about law enforcement have changed over the years.
He was hired as deputy state’s attorney in the office in 2003 and subsequently replaced Leonard C. Collins Jr. as the county’s top prosecutor.
Covington noted the “CSI effect” where people have higher expectations about law enforcement, including prosecutors, that are not realistic, based on the popular TV show.
In addition, more recently, criminal justice reform has been thrust to the forefront because of the political will to make it happen, he said.
Jury pools have also changed from being composed solely from voter registrations to include motor vehicle records. It’s a broader pool now, he said.
But maybe the biggest change over time has been the effect of technology on his office. Because there is more information to process from defendants’ cell phones and laptops, for example, it takes twice as long now to prepare a case, Covington said.
When he started in 2011 as state’s attorney, the office only had 10 prosecutors, but that number has been bumped up incrementally over the past decade to 19.
“We need 25” attorneys, he said. “We need [them] desperately. We were so short to begin with, we have yet to catch up. I have been begging the board of commissioners for years to increase my attorneys.”
“The state’s attorney’s staffing request will be considered by the board of commissioners in totality with all other [fiscal 2022] budget requests received. Input and suggestions from the Charles County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council will also impact the county’s decision,” Charles Commissioner President Reuben B. Collins II (D) said in an email when asked of the possibility of increasing the number of Charles prosecutors. “At this point, it is too early in the budget process to comment on the likelihood of any specific budget request being funded.”
One reason for the need is because the number of judges in district and circuit court have increased over time, Covington said.
When he started, there were two district court judges and three circuit judges. Now there are three and five, respectively, although Judge Amy Bragunier’s seat is yet to be filled. In the meantime, Bragunier has continued working in retired status. “She basically hasn’t stopped,” Covington said.
Another reason may be because of a population increase. “At one point, [Charles County] was the fastest-growing county in the state,” he said. Some of this was because of people relocating to the area from Washington, D.C., Prince George’s County and other places.
Covington said budget requests typically occur in April, so it’s likely he’ll be asking for more attorneys again this year.
Originally Posted on The Maryland Independent: