Island County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Washington
ISLAND COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY GREG BANKS
Island County Prosecutor
Greg Banks
Between the private life of the citizen and the public glare of criminal accusation stands the prosecutor. That state official has the power to employ the full machinery of the state in scrutinizing any given individual. Even if a defendant is ultimately acquitted, forced immersion in criminal investigation and adjudication is a wrenching disruption of everyday life. For this reason, we must have assurance that those who would wield this power will be guided solely by their sense of public responsibility for the attainment of justice.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan in
Young v. U.S. ex rel. Vuitton,
481 U.S. 787 (1987)
PROSECUTOR REVIEW OF THE DEATH OF KEATON FARRIS
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Island County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is to meet our statutory and constitutional duties to the citizens of Island County and the State of Washington; To vigorously, justly, and efficiently prosecute those who commit crimes in Island County; To provide excellent legal advice and services to the governing bodies and elected officials of Island County; To be effective advocates for the continuous improvement of the justice system; To set the standard for the highest level of professionalism and ethics for the practice of law in Island County.
OFFICE STAFFING AND CASELOADS
The Island County Prosecuting Attorney Greg Banks is ably assisted by six deputy prosecuting attorneys and eight legal support staff.
The Criminal Division is the major component of the office. Four deputy prosecutors and Prosecuting Attorney Banks devote their efforts to prosecuting criminal cases. The loss of three deputy prosecutor positions between 2008 and 2010 has resulted in a restructuring of the office, and necessitated the sharing of caseloads to make sure we meet all of our court obligations. The primary assignments within the office are described below.
Two attorneys prosecute primarily felony level crimes in Superior Court and their appeals. One of those deputies also carries a substantial DUI caseload in District Court in Oak Harbor. Felony crimes include everything from burglary and drug offenses to sexual assaults and murder. These prosecutors are assisted by two paralegals. Mr. Banks reviews all adult felony cases, assigns them to the deputies, and consults with them as needed. Mr. Banks oversees the prosecution of major cases.
One deputy prosecutor, with assistance from a felony deputy, handles the high volume misdemeanor case load, which consists primarily of Driving Under the Influence, misdemeanor Domestic Violence, and a wide variety of traffic offenses. These cases are heard in the Island County District Court in Oak Harbor. A single paralegal assists in this endeavor, assisted by other non-attorney staff as their time permits.
A single deputy prosecutor handles the juvenile cases, which includes all levels of criminal activity, as well as the juvenile drug court and most major sex crimes in our adult felony court. A single paralegal works in this unit as well.
All criminal units are also supported by our Victim/Witness coordinator, whose job it is to ensure crime victims and witnesses are provided assistance in interacting with the criminal justice system. In particular, this skilled employee works closely with victims of all types of crimes to ensure their rights are protected and that they have the support they need to assist in prosecutions.
The Civil Division provides legal counsel to all Island County elected officials, department heads, and numerous county agencies and departments. Serving the role as an in-house law firm for the county, the Civil Division works closely with clients in solving a wide range of legal problems by issuing formal written opinions and memoranda, providing general day-to-day legal advice, and handling civil litigation to which Island County is a party, whether as a plaintiff or defendant. Two deputy prosecutors, as well as Mr. Banks provide civil legal assistance to the county. A paralegal and the Office Administrator provide support to the three attorneys in this division.
The Child Support Enforcement Division provides services under contract with the State of Washington to enforce child support orders of absent parents when the custodial parent receives public assistance. This most often includes getting court ordered DNA testing to determine the paternity of a dependent child. This work is carried out by one of our civil deputy prosecutors, and a full-time paralegal devoted to the caseload. All of our expenses, including salaries and benefits, are reimbursed to us by the State.
OFFICE HOURS
With the end of mandatory furloughs we have restored our office hours. Please be advised that our paralegal/receptionist position was eliminated in 2011. If you call our office for general assistance, you may have to leave a message on our voice mail, rather than have a live person assist you. We regret the inconvenience.
HELP US IMPROVE OUR WEB PAGE
We are looking for input from citizens and government officials to help us improve our web page. Please with your suggestions, ideas, and criticisms of our web page. Thank you.
CONTACT US
The Island County Prosecuting Attorney is located on the second floor of the Law and Justice Building at 101 NE Sixth Street in Coupeville, Washington, 98239.
Island County Prosecuting Attorney
P.O. Box 5000
Coupeville, WA 98239
Office: 360.679.7363 | Fax: 360.240.5566 | Email: