Criminal Division
The Criminal Division of the Washoe County District Attorney's Office is supervised by Assistant District Attorney Zach Young. This Division receives misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor, and felony investigations from city, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Cases received are reviewed for possible prosecution which occur before justice courts, district courts and the grand jury. (Click to see the Criminal Division's Charging and Plea-Bargaining Standards)
The Criminal Division is divided into several teams. There are three prosecution teams that handle felony and gross misdemeanor cases. These teams are supervised by Chief Deputy District Attorneys Mike Bolenbaker, Matt Lee, and Amos Stege. In addition to prosecuting a variety of crimes, these teams have specialists in the areas of murder, arson, drugs, driving under the influence, gangs and white collar crimes.
The Specialty Court Team, led by Chief Deputy District Attorney Nicole Hicks, works as a multidisciplinary partner in specialty court programs that focus on improving quality of life, reducing recidivism, and enhancing community safety and awareness through intensive, court-supervised treatment for defendants dealing with drug and alcohol addiction, mental health issues, or veterans requiring assistance. Prosecutors on the Specialty Court Team are integral to the mission of these courts and collaborate with judges, defense attorneys, court officers, treatment providers, parole and probation officers, and drug testing staff to support the defendant’s progress while ensuring victims' rights are protected and public safety is maintained.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Kelly Kossow supervises the Bail and Intake Team. The team was created in 2022 to address legislative and judicial changes in the law that require bail hearings be conducted every day of the year for individuals recently arrested. Every morning, the team appears in numerous local courts to advocate for appropriate bail decisions while placing a priority on public safety and crime victims' rights.
The Major Violators portion of the Criminal Division is supervised by Chief Deputy District Attorney Luke Prengaman. This team was organized to quickly become involved in high profile and/or complicated cases. The members of this team are among the most experienced prosecutors in the office and provide a quick response to those crimes which often severely impact our community.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Nick Graham is in charge of the Misdemeanor team. In addition to handling the misdemeanor cases submitted, this team prosecutes felony DUI cases and chronic offenders targeted by law enforcement.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Peg Samples runs the legal side of the Washoe County Child Advocacy Center, along with two deputy district attorneys. They prosecute felony child abuse and assault cases.
The Juvenile Division is supervised by Chief Deputy District Attorney Ben Newman. This part of the District Attorney's Office handles all matters involving minors who have committed delinquent acts or are in need of supervision. Members of this team receive specialized training which assists them in evaluating these cases which can result in both incarceration or supervised probation.
The Fraud Check Diversion Program is supervised by Legal Assistant Supervisor Brandi Mandeville. A restitution in lieu of prosecution program designed to secure full payment to creditors victimized by bad check writers is the goal of this program. Additionally, defendants charged with these crimes are mandated to pay an administrative assessment which creates a fund from which the District Attorney`s Office is able to provide assistance to victims of crime.
Are you unsure what our prosecutors actually do? Check out this great video from the National District Attorneys Association for an explainer.