Delta Soror Angela Alsobrooks, Prince George’s state’s attorney candidate seeks return to prosecutorial roots

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Angela Alsobrooks has been out of the Prince George’s County state’s attorney’s office for eight years and sees her run for the office’s top position as a chance to get back to her first love: prosecution.

Alsobrooks worked as an assistant state’s attorney in the county from 1997 to 2002, starting first as a domestic violence prosecutor and later working on juvenile court, narcotics and major crimes cases.

When her then-boss, current County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), left the state’s attorney’s helm in 2002 to lead the county, he appointed her as the education liaison for his administration. Two years later, he appointed her as the executive director of the county Revenue Authority, where she currently works.

If elected as state’s attorney, Alsobrooks said she would like to encourage partnerships that would provide alternative sentences for low-level and non-violent offenders and encourage gang-resistance education.

She also vows to seek grant money and audit the office’s budget to find room to hire more attorneys. The office has 75 attorneys, but the high number of cases leaves county prosecutors with the heaviest case load per prosecutor, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

Specifically, Alsobrooks would like to appoint more attorneys to work on gang and domestic violence cases, where she believes grant money is currently the most plentiful, and would like several more attorneys to work as community prosecutors, maintaining working relationships with residents and police in specific neighborhoods.

“Those relationships go a long way,” Alsobrooks said. “People in their communities generally know where the issues are, and if you’ve engaged them, they will be very helpful in solving the issues in their neighborhood.”

Alsobrooks, 39, of Upper Marlboro said she would like to provide more transparency in the office by keeping the community up to date on major cases. In the Ronnie White case, in which a young man accused of killing a police officer was found dead in his jail cell and no one was ever charged in his death, Alsobrooks said she would have discussed the evidence with the public to explain why a prosecution was never made.

Current State’s Attorney Glenn F. Ivey (D), who is not seeking re-election, endorsed Alsobrooks as his successor Monday.

“She’s head and shoulders above the other candidates,” Ivey said of Alsobrooks.

Donnell Turner, a former county assistant state’s attorney who worked alongside Alsobrooks, said Alsobrooks’ strong work ethic and likeable personality make her a frontrunner.

“You need to be able to deal with a lot of different people — judges, defense council, legislators — so it requires a real knack to deal with those people,” Turner said.

Angela Alsobrooks

Position sought and party affiliation: State’s attorney, Democrat

Place of residence: Upper Marlboro

Time in county: 39 years

Age: 39

Place of birth: Suitland

Current occupation: Executive director of the Prince George’s County Revenue Authority

Education: Bachelor’s degree in public policy from Duke University in North Carolina and juris doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Law.

Community associations: Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, First Baptist Church of Glenarden and Duke University Alumni Association; a board member of Leadership Prince George’s; active participant in Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation events and fundraisers.

Professional associations: Member of Maryland State Bar Association, J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, National Parking Association and American Management Association.

Family: Single, 5-year-old daughter.

Campaign office address and telephone: Friends of Angela Alsobrooks

1101 Mercantile Lane, Suite 220 A, Largo, MD 20774.

301-418-8451

Candidate’s website:

www.angelaalsobrooks.com

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