Chelsea Cross has been with the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office since spring of 2006. As a graduate of Shippensburg University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, she began her career working on domestic violence cases in a newly formed and specialized unit in the District Court Division. Ms. Cross spent the next 14 years dedicated to the area of domestic violence advocacy helping hundreds of victims navigate the court process and local resource options. Eventually she added special advocate assignments to her caseload including non-DV homicide, elderly abuse, and serious traffic collisions. In fall of 2020, Ms. Cross transferred to the Circuit Court Division, where she began assisting the General Crimes and Major Crimes Units in the area of victim advocacy. In summer of 2022, she was promoted to Chief of the Victim Witness Unit supervising 8 employees, overseeing daily operations, and continuing to maintain a full advocate caseload.
Ms. Cross completed her Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree with a concentration in Human Resource Management graduating magna cum laude in spring of 2017. She maintains extensive training, both on the national and local levels, in the fields of domestic violence, sexual assault, and general victim assistance. Completed training programs include: National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence (MNADV), Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA), and Roper Victim Assistance Academy of Maryland.