Dempsey Stewart - Assistant State's Attorney
Mr. Stewart joined the Office in 2019. Mr. Stewart came to Worcester County from Caroline County where he served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for just under 3 years. Mr. Stewart graduated from University of Maryland-College Park in 2011 and obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2015, with a concentration in Criminal Practice. He acts as the prosecutor liaison for the community of Bishopville, and advises the Maryland State Police road patrol as well as Natural Resources Police.
Jill Odierno - Assistant State's Attorney
Ms. Odierno has been a practicing attorney since 2009 after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Western Connecticut State University in 2005 and a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law in 2009. Prior to joining the office in 2022, she operated a private law practice in Worcester County focused on family law and juvenile matters. She is a court-certified mediator and parenting coordinator, and previously served as a District Court Commissioner in Ocean City, Maryland. Jill is currently handling juvenile delinquency matters, vulnerable adult abuse and neglect cases, and oversees a variety of diversionary program initiatives.
Joaquin Cabrera - Assistant State's Attorney
Mr. Cabrera has been an Assistant State’s Attorney for Worcester County since 2011. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 2007 and obtained his Juris Doctor from Catholic University in 2010. He began his career in Worcester County District Court Division, but now handles mainly drug violations in the Circuit Court Division.
Lynn Nixon - Assistant State's Attorney
Ms. Nixon has been a practicing attorney since 1994, following graduation from the University of Maryland University College in 1989, and the University of Baltimore in 1994. She has been a prosecutor since 2001, joining Worcester County as an Assistant State’s Attorney in 2016, after having served in the same capacity in both Montgomery County and Baltimore City. She is currently serving as the Deputy State's Attorney and assigned to the Circuit Court Division.
Mark Jaskulski - Assistant State's Attorney
Mr. Jaskulski joined the Office in 2023 after serving as an Assistant State's Attorney in Baltimore City for nearly 17 years. During his time there, Mr. Jaskulski was a senior prosecutor in the Special Victims Unit where he prosecuted hundreds of cases involving sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence. In addition, he was the liaison to and prosecutor for cases involving the Horseshoe Casino, and in 2015, he was the lead prosecutor on cases that arose out of the riots in Baltimore City. Mr. Jaskulski is a strong believer in being active in his community and has served as past president of his neighborhood association and vice president of his condominium association in Ocean City. Currently, Mr. Jaskulski is the President of the LGBTQ Bar Association of Maryland, a member of the MSBA's Bar Foundation Fellowship and a graduate of MSBA's Leadership Academy.
Mary-Ann Burkhart - Assistant State's Attorney
Ms. Burkhart is new to Worcester County, but brings with her over 30 years of prosecution experience in the field of child abuse, family violence and sexual assault. During her career, she has also worked to develop and implement programs to assist child abuse prosecutors and their multi-disciplinary teams as the Director of both the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse at the National District Attorney’s Association and the Child Abuse Prosecution Project with the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. Mary-Ann has published numerous book chapters and articles on various topics pertaining to the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases and has trained thousands of multi-disciplinary team professionals through national, state and regional conferences. She graduated summa cum laude from Barry University and received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Miami School of Law. For her work in the field of child abuse, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Barry University.
Pamela Correa - Assistant State's Attorney
Ms. Correa, an eastern shore native, has been a practicing attorney since 2007. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Salisbury University, Ms. Correa went on to graduate from the University of Baltimore School of Law. She immediately returned home to clerk for the Honorable Judge Dale Cathell (retired) until 2008, when she joined the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office. In 2011, Ms. Correa went to work at the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office until 2018 when she opened her own practice. She returned to prosecution in 2021 when she rejoined our office as the child abuse prosecutor. She handles primarily cases involving child abuse, sexual assaults and domestic violence and is the prosecutor liaison for the Child Advocacy Center.
Paul Haskell - Assistant State's Attorney
Mr. Haskell has been a practicing attorney since 1994, and has been with the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office since 2007. In that time, he has prosecuted all types of criminal cases in every court in the county. He graduated from Mary Washington College with honors, and earned his law degree from Washington University St. Louis. He is currently assigned to the District Court Division.
Brittani Roksiewicz - Assistant State's Attorney
Ms. Roksiewicz has been with the Office since 2016. She graduated Magna Cum Laude, from West Virginia University with a degree in Criminology in 2012. She then obtained her Juris Doctor from University of Baltimore School of Law in 2015. In addition to her district court responsibilities, she also handles the cases of the circuit and district drug treatment courts for Worcester County. She currently acts as the prosecutor liaison for the communities of Ocean City and West Ocean City, and advises the Ocean City Police Department’s road patrol on legal questions.
Erin M. Smith - Assistant State's Attorney
Ms. Smith, a graduate of the University of Maryland and University of Baltimore School of Law, has been a practicing attorney since 2009. Before she joined the Worcester County State's Attorney's Office in 2022, she served as a prosecutor in Baltimore City, Prince George's County, and of most recent Harford County, where she was the Misdemeanor Division Chief. Ms. Smith has experience in prosecuting a wide array of cases, ranging from misdemeanors to violent gang-related homicides. Currently, Ms. Smith is serving as the District Court Division Chief.
Mac Baldwin - Assistant State's Attorney
Mac Baldwin joined the Office in 2023. A native of the Eastern Shore, Mr. Baldwin graduated cum laude from Salisbury University with a degree in Business Management in 2014. After working a number of years as a business analyst, he obtained his Juris Doctorate from Widener University, Delaware Law School in 2020. He clerked for the Honorable Judge Karen Dean in the Wicomico County Circuit Court until 2021, and most recently worked in civil litigation prior to joining the office.
Michael W. Farlow - Assistant State's Attorney
Mr. Farlow, a graduate of Salisbury University and Widener University School of Law, has been practicing law since 2001. He worked as a prosecutor in Worcester County between 2003 and 2010, leaving to operate a private law practice. Mr. Farlow returned to our office in 2018, and is currently assigned to the District Court Division. Mr. Farlow is active in the community as a member of the Snow Hill Volunteer Fire Department, the Snow Hill Lions Club, and several other organizations.
Tori Rinaldi - Assistant State's Attorney
Ms. Rinaldi joined the Office as an Assistant State’s Attorney in December of 2021, after having previously served as law clerk and intern. She graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in Criminology in 2018 and obtained her Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University College of Law.
Zachary Reid - Assistant State's Attorney
Mr. Reid was sworn in as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Worcester County in 2022, after having served as a prosecutor in Prince George’s County and most recently Caroline County, where he was the Deputy State’s Attorney. He is a graduate of Baylor University and the Washington College of Law at American University, and has been a practicing attorney since 2011. Mr. Reid has a wide breadth of prosecutorial experience in both the district and circuit courts, and brings case management systems administration and maintenance skills as well.
Eric Lee - Special Investigator
Investigator Lee joined the office in 2023 after serving twenty-five years in law enforcement in the state of Maryland. Investigator Lee is a Marine Corps veteran and retired from the Prince George’s County Police Department in 2018. He served as a robbery investigator along the Maryland/Washington D.C. border, and finished his last six years as an accident reconstructionist, where he provided expert witness testimony. He comes to our office from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office, where he functioned as a patrol deputy and school resource officer. Investigator Lee is heavily involved with the community and enjoys coaching football and mentoring our local youth.
Ray Austin - Special Investigator
Investigator Austin joined the office in 2023 after retiring from the Ocean City Police Department with 31 years of service, including 17 years in criminal investigations. He served as a Division Commander for 4 years and Assistant Commander for 7 years in the Criminal Investigation Division, in addition to serving 6 years as the primary supervisor of the Vice/Narcotics Unit. He currently coordinates and supplements investigations of law enforcement partners, and acts as a liaison to representatives of federal, state, county, and local law enforcement agencies to facilitate information sharing and intelligence coordination. He additionally serves as a liaison to the Worcester County Jail.
Ronnie Townsend - Special Investigator
Investigator Townsend joined the office in 2021 after serving over 28 years in law enforcement, the majority spent as a patrol supervisor with the Ocean City Police Department, and then as a deputy with the Worcester County Sheriff's Office. He brings to the office a strong background in community policing practices, good working relationships with business owners, and an expertise in accident reconstruction. He also currently serves as Special Investigator for the Worcester County Liquor Control Board, and works closely with Ocean City Police Department, Worcester County Sheriff's Office, Ocean Pines Police Department and Natural Resources Police to assist on their investigations.
Brittnee Frantum - Demonstrative Evidence Specialist
Brittnee Frantum joined the Office in 2023 and brings 6 years of experience as a digital forensics examiner. Ms. Frantum previously worked at the Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office as the Heroin Coordinator, where she assisted detectives by extracting data from cell phones and other electronic devices to further police investigations. Ms. Frantum currently supports investigators and prosecutors with digital evidence recovery and processing, and creates audio and visual displays used to showcase the State’s evidence at trial.
David Sharp - Chief Investigator
Chief Investigator Dave Sharp joined the office in 2017 after retiring from the Maryland State Police with over 27 years of service, including 12 years in criminal investigations and 8 years as Assistant Barrack Commander. He currently coordinates and supplements investigations of law enforcement partners, and acts as a liaison to representatives of federal, state, county and local law enforcement agencies to facilitate successful case preparation and prosecution.
Chris Sharp - Coordinator of Victim and Witness Services
Chris joined the Office in 2007, and has held several different positions in that time. She is currently the Coordinator of Services for Victims and Witnesses in the Circuit Court Division, and enjoys helping victims navigate the criminal justice system. Chris works collectively with several multi-disciplinary teams within Worcester County, including the Child Advocacy Center and the Vulnerable Adult Task Force, to proactively identify at-risk individuals and to connect those individuals to assistance and services. Chris is inspired by the strength she sees in each survivor as she helps them to overcome the trauma and stress they face throughout the investigation and prosecution of the crimes that have affected them.
Deborah Wendland - Coordinator of Victim and Witness Services
Ms. Wendland joined the office in 2023, bringing nearly 4 years of experience as a Victim Advocate assigned to the Homicide Unit at the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office. Deborah also worked in the Conviction Integrity Unit, assisting families through the difficult and lengthy court proceedings held post-trial. During her time in Baltimore, she created the original benefits and resources program for exonerees in the State of Maryland, ensuring the coordination of necessary services and resources. She graduated from Hood College with a Masters in Thanatology in 2014 and is excited to use her skills to ensure that those affected by crime in Worcester County receive the care, encouragement and support they need to recover and thrive.
Emilie Tacka - Coordinator of Victim and Witness Services
Emilie Tacka joined the office in 2023 after receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Spanish Language from the University of Maryland in 2022. Having grown up in Worcester County, Ms. Tacka is passionate about giving back to her home community by assisting juveniles and their families navigating through the criminal justice system. Ms. Tacka also brings with her prior experience working with juveniles as an intern with the Court Appointed Special Advocate Program.
Leslie P. Mulligan - Coordinator of Victim and Witness Services
Mrs. Mulligan joined the Office in 2018 and currently serves as the Coordinator of Victim and Witness Services for the District Court Division. She is a Nationally Credentialed Advocate and designated Comprehensive Victim Intervention Specialist, with additional specialties in Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Program Management through the National Advocate Credentialing Program (NACP). Mrs. Mulligan proactively guides victims through the criminal justice system and court process and provides support to them to ensure their voices are heard. She also collaborates with many government agencies as well as private and non-profit organizations to offer services to those affected by crimes prosecuted in Worcester County. Mrs. Mulligan is active in the community as the President of the Worcester County Library Board of Trustees, Snow Hill Library Riley Committee member, and speaker for Worcester County's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Sara Howell - Coordinator of Victim and Witness Services
Sara joined the Office in 2022 to continue her career of service in Worcester County, joining our team of victim and witness services coordinators in the District Court Division. She has over 15 years of experience linking people with needed resources and is a strong advocate for individuals struggling with behavioral health concerns. Her extensive knowledge of the services offered by local governmental agencies, private and non-profit organizations is an asset to all those affected by crime in our community. Ms. Howell has been honored with numerous awards locally and has been recognized statewide for her efforts to reduce stigma, assist the homeless, and prevent substance abuse. She offers hope and healing to our victims along with real-world solutions to the challenges they face in recovery.
Tara Barrett - Coordinator of Victim and Witness Services
Ms. Barrett is a licensed bachelor social worker (LBSW) who joined the team in 2022 after working as a legal assistant in Worcester County for 25 years. She obtained her Bachelor's degree from Liberty University and has had a lifelong passion for helping others who are less fortunate, which she does every day in her work supporting victims and witnesses in the District Court Division. Tara is also invested in the community as the co-founder and administrator of FORGE Youth and Family Academy, which is a non-profit organization helping at-risk youth to achieve meaningful, productive and successful lives. Her work in mentoring teens and her ability to truly connect with people from all walks of life greatly assist her in helping victims navigate through challenging times during court proceedings
Torrie Lubinski - Coordinator of Victim and Witness Services
Torrie Lubinski joined the States Attorney's Office in June of 2023 shortly after receiving her Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Salisbury University. Torrie has prior experience working as an intern in the Wicomico County Circuit Court. Torrie comes from a law enforcement family and is passionate about supporting victims in obtaining justice.
