Prosecuting Attorney

Mission Statement

The mission of the Island County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is to meet our statutory and constitutional duties to the citizens of Island County and the State of Washington; To vigorously, justly, and efficiently prosecute those who commit crimes in Island County; To provide excellent legal advice and services to the governing bodies and elected officials of Island County; To be effective advocates for the continuous improvement of the justice system; To set the standard for the highest level of professionalism and ethics for the practice of law in Island County.

Office Staffing and Caseloads

The Island County Prosecuting Attorney Greg Banks is ably assisted by eight deputy prosecuting attorneys and ten legal support staff.

The Criminal Division

The Criminal Division is the major divison of the office. Six deputy prosecutors and Prosecuting Attorney Greg Banks devote their efforts to prosecuting criminal cases.  

Four attorneys, including the chief criminal deputy, prosecute primarily felony level crimes and their appeals in Superior Court. Felony crimes include everything from burglary and drug offenses to sexual assaults and murder. One of these attorneys also handles the juvenile cases, which includes all levels of criminal activity, as well as the adult offender drug court. These prosecutors are assisted by three paralegals. Banks personally prosecutes the most serious cases, and others of special interest. He provides regular guidance to junior attorneys, as needed, depending on their level of experience and the issues involved. Banks oversees the prosecution of major cases.

Two deputy prosecutors handle the high volume misdemeanor case load, which consists primarily of driving under the influence, misdemeanor domestic violence, Fish and Wildlife violations, and a wide variety of traffic offenses. These cases are heard in the Island County District Court in Oak Harbor. A single paralegal assists in this endeavor, assisted by other non-attorney staff as their time permits.

All criminal units are also supported by our victim/witness coordinator, whose job it is to ensure crime victims and witnesses are provided assistance in interacting with the criminal justice system. In particular, this skilled employee works closely with victims of all types of crimes to ensure their rights are protected and that they have the support they need to assist in prosecutions and recover from the effects of the crimes committed against them.

The Civil Division

The Civil Division provides legal counsel to all Island County elected officials, department heads, and numerous county agencies and departments. Serving the role as an in-house law firm for the county, the Civil Division works closely with clients in solving a wide range of legal problems by issuing formal written opinions and memoranda, providing general day-to-day legal advice, and handling civil litigation to which Island County is a party, whether as a plaintiff or defendant. Two deputy prosecutors and Banks provide civil legal assistance to the county. Two paralegals provide support to the three attorneys in this division.

Membership in the National District Attorneys Association

Watch these videos produced by the National District Attorneys Association about the important work of prosecutors across the country, and the role of the NDAA. Greg Banks has been a member of NDAA for over 20 years, and has served on its board of directors since 2017.