Criminal Division

Many assistant prosecuting attorneys work in the Criminal Division of the Office of the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney. They represent the people of the State of Ohio in all Franklin County felony prosecutions and handle between 8000-9000 cases per year. While most assistant prosecuting attorneys in the Criminal Division handle a wide range of cases from fifth degree felony theft offenses to aggravated murder, there are several units that specialize in prosecuting particular types of offenses.

The Special Victims Unit prosecutes sexual assaults, domestic violence, stalking, and child abuse cases. Each prosecutor assigned to this unit also spends time at the Center for Child and Family Advocacy located at Children's Hospital to provide immediate evaluation and advise for child victims and family members. Serious drug offenses are prosecuted by the Drug Unit. The Economic Crime Unit is charged with investigating and prosecuting public corruption and white collar crime cases. Violent and economic crimes committed by participants in criminal gangs are the responsibility of the Gang Unit. The Nonsupport Unit prosecutes all cases of criminal nonsupport. The Gun Unit addresses those cases involving gun-related charges.

Each of the specialized units is supervised by a Director who reports to the Chief Counsel of the Criminal Division as well as to the Prosecuting Attorney G. Gary Tyack. Assistant prosecuting attorneys not serving in a specialized unit work in groups of five or six attorneys supervised by a senior trial attorney. Each of these groups handles cases assigned to four or five Common Pleas Court Judges. The senior trial attorneys prosecute the more serious cases assigned to their groups.