The primary responsibility of the County Attorney's office is criminal prosecution.

Iowa created the County Attorney as an elected position in 1846.

The primary responsibility of the County Attorney's office is criminal prosecution.

The prosecutor in ways is the heart of the Criminal Justice system. Except for Simple Misdemeanors, all charging decisions rest with the prosecutor.

No jury or court can convict a person of a serious crime without a prosecutor first determining that pursuing a criminal charge will serve the interest of justice. Therefore, the County Attorney's daily challenge is to deal appropriately with the people involved in the Criminal Justice System.

The County Attorney DOES:

	Prosecute all violations of state criminal laws and county ordinances.
	Provide legal advice to the Board of Supervisors and county and township officers concerning county matters.
	Represent and defend the state, county and its officers in officially related cases.
	Recover all monies (debts, fines, penalties, etc.) owing to the state or county.
	Present all mental health commitment proceedings and all juvenile delinquency and child in need of assistance cases.
	There are both full-time and part-time County Attorneys in Iowa. Roughly two-thirds of all County Attorneys are part-time and may handle private legal work in addition to their official duties.

Howard County Attorney in his or her official capacity, DOES NOT:

	Give legal advice to or represent private groups or persons.
	File lawsuits for private persons or defend them against lawsuits, including actions for dissolution of marriage.
	Prepare wills, deeds or other legal documents for private individuals.

The County Attorney's duties set by the Iowa Code (PDF)