Montgomery County, PA

 

 

 

 

The Pre-Trials Division is supervised by the Pre-Trials Chief.  The Pre-Trials Division generally consists of newly-hired Assistant District Attorneys.  These assistants begin their prosecutorial career in the Pre-Trials Division, handling a variety of pretrial matters, including probation violation hearings, summary appeals, habeas corpus hearings and preliminary hearings.  Like all other divisions within the District Attorney’s Office, Pre-Trials Assistant District Attorneys work closely with law enforcement officials to ensure that the strongest case possible is presented in court. 

       

 

The ARD Unit is supervised by the ARD Chief.  The ARD Unit reviews criminal cases for placement into the District Attorney’s ARD program.  ARD is a unique program, approved by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, for first-time offenders who have no prior criminal convictions or prior ARD dispositions.  The primary purpose of the ARD program is the prompt disposition of charges, eliminating the need for costly and time-consuming trials and other court proceedings.  The program is designed to recognize those offenders who are amenable to treatment and rehabilitation, and effectively remove their cases from the criminal justice system, thereby freeing resources better utilized elsewhere.

Individuals wishing to be placed into the ARD program must submit a written application to the District Attorney’s Office as soon as possible.  Generally, an individual must waive their preliminary hearing and formal arraignment to receive ARD.  All parties involved with the case (i.e., police; victim(s)) then have the opportunity to comment upon the application.  If approved, the applicant is normally placed on probation, ordered to pay fines and costs, and complete community service.   Successful applicants are admitted into the ARD program by a Common Pleas Judge.

Upon successful completion of the ARD program, the applicant may petition the Court to expunge their record.  All cases are examined on an individual basis.  ARD is a discretionary program managed exclusively by the Office of the District Attorney; therefore, the District Attorney is the sole authority as to who is approved for the ARD program.  All facts and circumstances regarding the case are taken into account when reviewing an ARD application.

ARD applications are generally available at each district court, at the District Attorney’s Office, or by calling the ARD Unit at (610) 278-3109, or by clicking on the link below.  ARD applications should be submitted within thirty (30) days of the preliminary hearing.

 

 

CLICK HERE HERE TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THE ARD APPLICATION

 

Trials Division

 

 

 

The Economic Crimes Unit is supervised by the Economic Crimes Captain.  This Unit is responsible for prosecuting all significant financial crimes committed within Montgomery County, including identity theft, embezzlement, counterfeit check schemes, deceptive business practices, forgery, bank fraud, and related theft offenses.  Members of the unit participate in regional efforts to combat white-collar crime through information sharing and collaborative investigations, including task force participation.

 

 

The Firearms Unit is supervised by the Firearms Unit Captain.  This Unit is responsible for prosecuting those cases involving the illegal transfer, possession and use of firearms.  These cases often involve narcotics trafficking and violent crimes including homicide, robbery and assault. The assistant district attorneys assigned to this unit are specially trained to prosecute firearms cases, and are designated as Special Assistant United States Attorneys for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.  They prosecute their cases both locally and in federal court, where the penalties against habitual, violent offenders who possess guns are often more severe.

 

The Firearms Unit actively participates in the Safe Neighborhoods Project.  This unit works with local law enforcement as well as state and federal law enforcement agencies such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to ensure that the strongest case possible is presented in court. 

 

 

    MAJOR CRIMES UNIT        

The Major Crimes Unit is supervised by the Major Crimes Unit Captain.  This Unit handles the prosecution of many serious crimes, including Homicide, Aggravated Assault, Robbery and Burglary.  The Assistant District Attorneys assigned to this Unit are expected to manage a large variety of cases, conduct their own evidentiary hearings, prepare and present their cases at trial before a judge or jury.

 

The Narcotics Unit is supervised by the Narcotics Unit Captain.  This Unit prosecutes all drug offenses, including the sale and delivery of dangerous narcotics as well as possession offenses. The Unit handles cases resulting from traditional investigative techniques, as well as more complex wiretap and corrupt organization investigations.

The Assistant District Attorneys assigned to the Narcotics Unit work closely with officers from the District Attorney's Municipal Drug Task Force to target narcotics trafficking throughout Montgomery County, as well as the Montgomery County Detective Bureau Narcotic Enforcement Team and the Pennsylvania State Police. 

         

 

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A CONFIDENTIAL

DRUG ACTIVITY TIP

 

SEX CRIMES UNIT    

     

The Sex Crimes Unit is supervised by the Sex Crimes Unit Captain.  This Unit prosecutes cases involving sexual assault of adults and children, Internet and computer crimes involving children, and most other crimes committed involving children. The assistant district attorneys on this unit work closely with investigators from all the municipal police jurisdictions around Montgomery County, the Montgomery County Detectives’ Bureau and the Office of Children and Youth Services to employ vertical prosecution in sexual assault cases.

Using the practice of vertical prosecution, an assistant district attorney is assigned to the case shortly before, or immediately following a defendant’s arrest.  Thereafter, that ADA is responsible for handling every aspect of the case, from preliminary hearing through trial and sentencing.  The practical effect of vertical prosecution is that one prosecutor becomes completely familiar with, and responsible for, the case, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of the prosecution and minimizing the trauma to the victims of these sensitive crimes.

 

 

 PUBLIC CORRUPTION UNIT

 

 

The Public Corruption Unit was created in 2008 to investigate and prosecute cases involving abuses of power should they occur within Montgomery County. The Unit investigates all types of corruption in public and government-related organizations.  This Unit utilizes the full power of the District Attorney’s Office to investigate corruption, including the Investigating Grand Jury, immunity, informants and wiretaps.   The Unit also provides intelligence gathering and strategic crime analysis to other County Detective Investigative Units, including Homicide, N.E.T., Forensics and Major Crimes.

 

 

  CLICK HERE TO REPORT PUBLIC CORRUPTION

OR CALL (610) 278-6267

The Special Prosecutions Unit consists of the following divisions: Domestic Violence; Elder Abuse Unit; Grand Jury and Insurance Fraud/Arson.

District Attorney Ferman established the Elder Abuse Unit in March 2008 in an effort to aggressively respond to the increase in crimes against elders coming into the criminal justice system.

 

The Elder Abuse Unit investigate and prosecute crimes which target and victimize the senior residents of Montgomery County including physical and sexual assaults, neglect, theft and financial exploitation. The Unit provides training to police and prosecutors on the investigation and prosecution of these crimes, and serves as a resource for educational outreach to senior citizens to provide advice and information about how they can avoid being victimized. The Unit also provides training to the community-at-large about how to identify and report signs of abuse. The Elder Abuse Unit works with agencies and community groups throughout the County and the Commonwealth to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who prey upon senior citizens. 

 

The Elder Abuse Unit also supervises the Elder Abuse Task Force, a multi-disciplinary committee of law enforcement agencies and the Montgomery County Aging and Adult Services.  The Task Force includes all county agencies which are charged with protecting our senior residents.  The Task Force coordinates efforts, identifies areas for training, and reviews individual cases of potential elder abuse.
 
The Elder Abuse Task Force works with geriatric and forensic specialists, the Montgomery County Bar Association, victim advocacy groups, and others in the community to avail itself of all of the resources in the county. 

 

 

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT THE ELDER ABUSE HOTLINE

OR CALL 1-800-734-2020

 

Grand Jury      

The Montgomery County Investigating Grand Jury is made up of citizens from Montgomery County and serves for a term of eighteen to twenty-four months, pursuant to law. An Assistant District Attorney and Judge of the Court of Common Pleas oversee the Grand Jury. The Grand Jury utilizes its unique investigatory powers to compel the testimony of uncooperative witnesses and the production of documents and other evidence. The Grand Jury investigates serious crimes committed within Montgomery County, including homicide, narcotics trafficking, fraud, and sexual assault

 

 

Insurance Fraud/Arson

The Insurance Fraud/Arson Unit was created in 1996 to identify, investigate and aggressively prosecute those individuals and corporations committing insurance fraud in Montgomery County.  The Insurance Fraud Unit works closely with local police departments, insurance companies and private citizens to help prosecute all cases involving fraudulent schemes designed to deceive insurance providers, and all cases related to the use of fire or other explosive devices. The Assistant District Attorney assigned to this Unit works closely with law enforcement officers from the inception of these complex investigations through arrest, conviction and sentencing.

The Insurance Fraud/Arson Unit is funded by a grant from the Pennsylvania Insurance Fraud Prevention Authority. 

 

 

CLICK HERE TO REPORT INSURANCE FRAUD

OR CALL (610) 278-3140