Serving Baltimore Communities
The Baltimore City State's Attorney's Office works in neighborhoods across Baltimore to support public safety, strengthen local partnerships, and respond to community needs. By maintaining an active presence and working closely with residents, local leaders, and community groups, we help connect people to information, services, and resources related to the justice system. Community liaisons support this work by building relationships in neighborhoods, helping residents navigate processes like impact statements and citations, and bringing community priorities into the office's work.
How We Serve the Community
We support Baltimore communities by keeping people informed, responding to real concerns and helping individuals navigate the justice system in ways that are clear, consistent, and practical.
Community Liaisons
Community liaisons work in neighborhoods across Baltimore to build relationships, listen to local concerns, and serve as consistent points of connection between residents and the State’s Attorney’s Office.
Policy and Legislative Work
We work with community stakeholders and elected leaders to shape laws and policies that impact Baltimore’s justice system, advance legislation, and address systemic issues affecting public safety.
Youth and Young Adult Initiatives
We support prevention‑focused programs for youth and young adults that promote accountability and reduce unnecessary justice system involvement.
Meet the Community Liaisons
Legislative Impact
Over the past three years, State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates, on behalf of the BCSAO, has proposed dozens of bills and helped lead the charge to help pass impactful legislation that became law.
The Pava LaPere Act 2024
This law allows precludes those individuals convicted of a first-degree sex crime from receiving diminution credits, which help reduce their sentence and get them home sooner.
The 2024 Juvenile Justice Act
This law aimed at holding juvenile offenders accountable by enforcing provisions that ensured any offender who violated their home-monitoring would have to come before a judge or magistrate within a matter of days, while also ensuring that specific crimes and repeat offenders were not simply diverted or informalled by the Department of Juvenile Services, but instead sent to the BCSAO for review and determination for prosecution, among other things.
The Second Chance Act
This act allows individuals with certain misdemeanor convictions to petition to have their records shielded from public view.
The PACE Act (Protecting Artists' Creative Expression Act)
is a law designed to limit when prosecutors can use creative expression — especially rap lyrics — as evidence in criminal and juvenile cases.
The Court Commissioner bill
This bill seeks to prevent individual citizens from going to the court commissioners and taking out false charges on individuals they may or may not know. This system currently is broken, and this bill would seek to prevent court commissioners from issuing warrants based on allegations made by individuals with no proof or investigation, but instead sending those charges to the State’s Attorney’s Office for review and their recommendation on if charges should move forward and if a summons OR a warrant should be issued.
In the Community
Explore how we engage with communities across Baltimore through events, youth programs, and neighborhood-based efforts.
Youth Engagement
Learn how our office has engaged with youth through education and community outreach.
Submit a Community Impact Statement
Share how a crime has affected your community or neighborhood.
Community Impact Statement
A Community Impact Statement allows individuals or organizations to share how a crime has affected a neighborhood or broader community. These statements are different from Victim Impact Statements, which focus on personal harm, but may also be considered
Serving Older Adults & Persons with Disabilities
Our office is committed to strengthening our relationship with older adults aged 60+ and persons with disabilities in Baltimore City.
Specialized support is available, including community awareness, a dedicated helpline, trained investigators and other tailored services. For court-related matters, your Victim Witness Coordinator is available to provide support and help coordinate services.
Citation Program
Learn about Baltimore’s citation program and view the Citation Docket.
Citations
Get details about citations, including eligibility, penalties, and upcoming arraignment dates.
