Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele (Image courtesy of Montgomery County)
Learn more about elected county officials with our series, Managing Montco
We hope you are both enjoying and learning something from our exploration of Managing Montco. Each day, we aim to take a deeper dive into a role of a department within the county. We want to help you understand who that person is, what they do for the county, and what they can do to help you.
We are breaking down the roles of the nine departments known as “Row Officers.” Today we take a look at the county’s District Attorney.
What is a District Attorney?
“In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime, and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.”
If you just read that in “the voice” and ended it in your head (or even aloud) with a “dun-dun,” you probably have some understanding about what the answer to that question is. The District Attorney (DA) for a county is responsible for the “law” side of “Law & Order.” A district attorney is the “office” that must work with all law enforcement authorities in order to investigate and “aggressively prosecute” criminal activity.
The office must focus on ensuring those guilty of crime are held responsible for their actions, justly and fairly, in a court of law. They are the representatives “of the people,” both figuratively and literally. They must take the cases police submit and prosecute the offenders, but they are also “The People” in a court case’s name (i.e. “The People vs. Larry Flynt” of court and movie history).
Who is the Montgomery County DA?
Our current DA is Kevin R. Steele. Steele has been the county’s DA since 2016. He serves as our county’s “Chief Law Enforcement Officer,” which means he technically oversees an office of 155 prosecutors, detectives, and internal office staff.
To get the job done, Steele must coordinate with the county’s 50 police departments, as well as other local, state, or federal partners! That’s a lot of interoffice memos! Did you know Montgomery County has 75 unique municipalities, which include cities, towns, villages, and census-designated places, as well as unincorporated communities.
While Steele does still prosecute cases himself, a large staff of assistants help to juggle the caseload, as well.
The “First Assistant” position is currently held by Edward F. McCann Jr., who handles the “day-to-day” duties of the office. He helps to organize and supervise the staff which averages around 9,000 cases annually.
Following the office’s established hierarchy, the office also is operated with the assistance of Division Chiefs. These deputy district attorneys include:
Kelly S. Lloyd, Chief, Diversion & Pre-Trials
Robert M. Falin, Chief, Appellate Division
Sharon Giamporcaro, Chief, Juvenile Division
Adrienne D. Jappe, Chief of Staff
Brianna L. Ringwood, Chief of Professional Standards
Thomas W. McGoldrick, Chief, Trials Division
Where can I find the Montgomery County DA?
The DA’s office is physically located in the County Courthouse, on its fourth floor. A mailing address for the DA is to PO Box 311, Norristown, PA 19404.
To reach the DA’s office by phone, call 610-278-3090. You can reach the county’s Detective Bureau at 610-278-3368. The office is open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
Can I request public records from the DA?
There is an online form here that the public may use to request law enforcement-related public records only. All other open record requests must go through the Open Records Officer. If the record is in the possession, custody, or control of the DA’s office, as defined by the Pennsylvania Right to Know Act (RTK).
All record requests must come via email to [email protected], or by traditional mail, at:
U.S. Mail: Brianna L. Ringwood
Deputy District Attorney
Open Records Officer
P.O. Box 311
Norristown, PA 19404-0311.
Requests cannot be verbal nor anonymous. Each request must outline what documents are requested clearly and include the name and address to which the documents should be sent. A photocopying fee of $0.25 per page (in addition to the fee structure as outlined by the RTK Act).
Can I report a crime to the DA?
Yes, some crimes can be reported directly to the county district attorney. Alternatively, calling 911 or reaching your local municipal police is also an acceptable way to report a crime, too.
For the DA’s office, you can report:
