The attorneys and support professionals of the County Attorney’s Office work collaboratively within the law department, as well as with the twenty-eight (28) County-wide elected officials and the thirty-one (31) County Departments, to pursue justice by providing the highest quality legal representation.
The County Attorney’s Office represents, the twenty (20) County Supervisors on the Board of Supervisors, the seven County-wide elected officers, and the numerous departments and offices which comprise Warren County’s municipal government.
As the legal advisor to the County Board of Supervisors and every officer whose compensation is paid from County funds, the County Attorney’s Office delivers timely and accurate legal advice and opinions on:
• New York State and Federal statutes, New York Codes, Rules and Regulations, and court decisions;
• Proposed and enacted County local laws and resolutions;
• County policies and procedures;
• County Code of Ethics and State ethics laws;
• Procurement contracts and bidding requirements;
• Employment law and personnel actions;
• Civil service law;
• Collective bargaining negotiations and agreements with the seven labor unions representing county employees;
• Real property law;
• Tax laws;
• Environmental law and regulations;
• Eminent domain matters and litigation; and
• Any other legal matter which impacts the county’s day-to-day operations.
The County Attorney prosecutes and defends all civil actions and proceedings brought by or against the County, any member of the Board of Supervisors, and any officer whose compensation is paid from County funds for any official act. The County Attorney may represent the County or engage outside legal counsel to prosecute or defend any civil action. Lawsuits may include claims involving:
• Negligence;
• Sexual Harassment and Discrimination;
• Civil rights violations;
• American with Disabilities Act claims;
• Fair Standards Labor Act claims;
• Employment law claims;
• Breach of contract;
• Real property litigation;
• Tax foreclosure proceedings;
• Small claims court prosecutions;
• Extreme Risk Protection Applications and Order;
• Assisted Outpatient Treatment Petitions and Litigation; and
• Defense of Article 78 proceedings.
The County Attorney’s Office is the Presentment Agency primarily responsible for Family Court actions involving juvenile delinquency petitions filed with the Warren County Family Court. Attorneys handle all aspects of such matters from initial investigation and charging decisions through the final disposition of those charges involving a juvenile delinquent.
The County Attorney also deputizes attorneys assigned to the Legal Unit for the Department of Social Services to perform duties before the Family Court involving Article 10 petitions alleging the abuse or neglect of children in Warren County, guardianship proceedings, child support proceedings, fair hearings, and Medicaid liens, as well as other work in support of the statutory duties assigned to the Commissioner of Social Services.