Laura Martin received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in 1985. In 1988, she earned her law degree from the American University, Washington College of Law. While still in law school, she began working for the Prince George's County State's Attorney's Office in 1987 as a law clerk. She was sworn in as an Assistant State's Attorney in July of 1989 and worked her way up through several of that office's departments, to include the District Court Division, the Juvenile Court Division, the Narcotics Division, Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Division and finally landed in the Homicide Division in 1994. She was appointed Assistant Chief of that unit later that same year.

In September of 1998, then State's Attorney Robert Riddle asked Laura to join his office as his Deputy State's Attorney in Calvert County. Wishing to serve the community in which she lived; Laura accepted his offer. From September 1998 into 1999, Laura handled most of the felony prosecutions in Calvert County. As the office grew, she continued to handle the prosecution of all violent crimes within Calvert County - including homicide, sexual assault, child abuse, felony assaults, and robberies - but, began to train younger prosecutors to handle the felony narcotic and burglary cases.

Laura is active in the community -- often speaking at neighborhood community watch groups and local schools. Each year she is a guest lecturer at the Calvert High School Career Center where she presents a class on legal issues in the Health Care field. In addition, she teaches for the Sexual Assault Forensic Nurse Program. She has organized and conducted in-service training for both the Maryland State Police and the Calvert County Sheriff's Office and has been a guest speaker at the Women in Law Enforcement Conference. In addition, she teaches Fourth Amendment Law -- a week long block of instruction -- at the Southern Maryland Criminal Justice Academy. This is a class for new police recruits who serve in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties.

She has been honored by police and community groups. In 1998, she was named an honorary police officer by the Prince George's County Police Department. In 2002, she received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Advocacy from the Calvert County Commission for Women. In 2003, the Optimist Clubs of Calvert County presented her with the Law Enforcement Award. Moreover, in January of 2006, Sheriff Mike Evans presented Laura with the Sheriff's Salute Award for her assistance to the Calvert County Sheriff's Office during her tenure as Deputy State's Attorney.

She was elected State's Attorney in November of 2006 and was sworn into office in January of 2007.

Email Ms. Martin: martinll@co.cal.md.us