John McCarthy
for Montgomery County
State's Attorney
A Record of Reform and Innovation
March with John McCarthy in the Olney Days Parade on
Sunday, May 1st
The line up for the Parade begins on Prince Philip Dr at 1:00 PM and the Parade begins at 2:00 PM
Volunteers will be provided a McCarthy T-Shirt and given Palm Cards and Stickers to distribute during the parade.
John McCarthy
for Montgomery County
State's Attorney
A Record of Reform and Innovation
March with John McCarthy in the Olney Days Parade on Sunday, May 1st
The line up for the Parade begins on Prince Philip Dr at 1:00 PM and the Parade begins at 2:00 PM
Volunteers will be provided a McCarthy T-Shirt and given Palm Cards and Stickers to distribute during the parade.
John McCarthy:
Democrat for Montgomery County State's Attorney
A Record of Reform and Innovation
Four-term in Montgomery County, MD, John McCarthy was born on March 3, 1952, in Jersey City, NJ, as the oldest of six children. John’s father, John “Jack” McCarthy, now deceased, was a World War II Navy Veteran who served his country in European and Asian theaters. Following World War II, Jack went to Georgetown University on the GI Bill. John’s mother, Jane, also deceased, was the oldest of nine children. The example of his parents inspired John’s commitment to public service.
John attended grammar and high school in the New Jersey suburbs outside of Philadelphia. He served as a student government president in his senior year before graduating from Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill, NJ, in 1970. John attended the Catholic University of America on a baseball scholarship between 1970 and 1974.
Following John’s graduation from the Catholic University of America, he taught at Good Counsel High School in Wheaton, MD. During his stint as a teacher, he also attended law school in the evenings at the University of Baltimore and graduated in 1979. John started his private legal career practice after being admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1979.
John joined the State’s Attorney’s Office for Prince George’s County in 1980 and, 18 months later, became a Public Defender in Montgomery County. In 1982, he joined the State’s Attorney’s Office for Montgomery County. Before John ascended to the position of State’s Attorney in 2006, he served as Deputy State’s Attorney in Montgomery County for ten years. Prior to that, he was also the head of every major trial division in the office.
John has four children and five grandchildren.
Innovation and Forward Thinking
First in Maryland to commission outside, independent researchers to review criminal justice processes for racial or ethnic bias through Prosecutorial Performance Indicators (PPI)
Diverted over 8,800 non-violent criminal offenders to community service from prosecution and over 2,500 minor drug offenders to treatment rather than jail through the establishment of the Drug Court and other diversionary programs
Lead the establishment of Mental Health Courts for Montgomery County
Reduced crime by 29% and jail population by 35% during his time as State’s Attorney
Co-directed the Family Justice Center to counter domestic violence and provide vital support to victims and families
Became the first State’s Attorney in the nation to establish independent prosecution and reviews in police use-of-force cases
First to halt criminal prosecution of marijuana possession in Maryland
Protected senior citizens of the community by creating elder abuse victim prosecution teams
Instituted the Truancy Prevention Program, which mentors middle school students – 90% of whom are underserved.
Coordinated and implemented the “Choose Respect” program to reduce teen dating violence
Co-founded the “Speak Up, Save a Life” program that promotes opiate awareness and presented it to over 70,000 students
Advocated for gender equality in the workplace and currently has 5 out of 7 prosecution teams headed by women, with 65% of his attorney staff being women.
Learn about John McCarthy’s accomplishments, and please make a donation.
Honors and Qualifications:
- Member of the Maryland Bar (1979-Present)
Member of the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office (1982-Present).
Deputy State’s Attorney for Montgomery County (1996-2006)
Participated in OPEN WORLD and RALROC Programs in Russia and Ukraine
Professor, Montgomery College (1979-Present)
Instructor, Johns Hopkins OSHER Program (1998-Present)
- Elected State’s Attorney for Montgomery County (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018)
- President of the Montgomery County Bar Association (2004-2005)
- President of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation (2005-2006)
- President of the Maryland State’s Attorney’s Association (2009-2011)
- Delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates (2007-2010)
- Chair, Criminal Law and Practice Section Council, Maryland State Bar Association (2007)
- Named Maryland SuperLawyer (Numerous Years)
- Legal Advisor to Numerous Task, Forces Including the Sniper Task Force (2002)
- Directed Overseas Training Programs for the U.S. Department of Justice
- Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development Assistance and Training (OPDAT)
- Lectured for the American Bar Association, Maryland State Bar, and Judicial Training Institute of Maryland
- Professor Montgomery College 1979 – Present
- Instructor Johns Hopkins OSHER Program 1998 – Present
Accomplishments:
- Established the Gang Prosecution Unit for Montgomery County (2007)
- Awarded the Montgomery County Bar Association’s Award for Professionalism (2007)
- Inducted Into the American College of Trial Lawyers (2009)
- Established Truancy Court in Montgomery County and Obtained Federal Funding for Its Initial Start-Up (2009)
- Participated in the Opening of the Family Justice Center, Which Provides Services to the Victims of Domestic Violence
- Developed Internet Safety Programs for Montgomery County Public Schools
- Established the “Choose Respect” Program To Promote Safe Teen Dating in Montgomery County (2010-Present)
- Awarded the J. Joseph Curran Public Service Award As the Distinguished Government Lawyer by the Maryland Bar Foundation (2010)
- Chaired the Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission for Montgomery County, MD (2011)
- Awarded Victim’s Rights Foundation of Montgomery County Champion for Victims Award (2011)
- Trial Attorney who has tried hundreds of major felony trials.
- Legal Advisor to the Sniper task force 2002
- Presented the Shield Award by the Anti-Defamation League of the United States (2012 and 2014)
- Lecturer, Social Media and the Urban Child – 6th Annual Urban Child Symposium, University of Baltimore Law School (2014)
- Nominated To Chair Criminal Law Practice Section of the American College of Trial Lawyers (2014)
- Excellence in Government Award, Montgomery County Sentinel (2015)
- Spearheaded the Establishment of Montgomery County Mental Health Courts (2016)
- Public Service Award, Korean American Association of Montgomery County (2017)
- Don Bosco Cristo Rey Founding Job Sponsor (2017)
- Public Service Award, Maryland Hispanic Bar Association (2018)
- Active Participant in Strategic Planning and Education of Seniors to Prevent Victimization
Community Activism:
- Associate Professor, Montgomery College in Paralegal Studies (1979-Present)
- Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University (Montgomery County Campus) (2006-Present)
- Inducted Youth Coaching Hall of Fame, Washington D.C. (2007)
- Member, Board of Directors at Good Counsel High School (1997-2003)
- Volunteer Special Olympics
- Participant in National Youth Leadership Forum (1990-2007), Keynote Speaker National Conference (2003)
- Coordinated an Anti-Drug Program for Seventh Grade Students at Silver Spring Elementary School, (1996–2009)
- Lecturer at Virtually Every County High School on Issues of Government and Criminal Justice