Senior Staff

Joshua J. Felsen is an accomplished attorney with over twenty years of experience prosecuting everything from white-collar crimes to high-profile, homicide cases. He has worked in various divisions within The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office investigating a wide-ranging array of criminal matters. In early 2019, he joined the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office as a Deputy State’s Attorney.

Mr. Felsen received Bachelor of Arts degrees, cum laude, in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland College Park in 1998. While in college, he studied abroad at Universidad Laica Vicente Rocafuerte in Guayaquil, Ecuador. In 2002, Mr. Felsen graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law and was admitted to the Maryland Bar.

Following law school, he began his prosecutorial career in The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office. Mr. Felsen served in the Juvenile, District, Misdemeanor Jury Trial, General Felony, and FIVE (Firearms Investigations Violence Enforcement) divisions before being promoted to the Homicide Division in 2007. While in the Homicide Division, he prosecuted over twenty jury trials to verdict. In 2012, Mr. Felsen transferred to the Economic Crimes Division, where in 2014, he was promoted to Division Chief. Mr. Felsen also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney from 2013-2016.

In his current role as Deputy State’s Attorney in Howard County, Mr. Felsen oversees the office’s operations as well as prosecuting various felony cases such as theft, robbery, burglary, assault, and homicide.

Mr. Felsen is a frequent guest speaker/panelist on numerous prosecution topics such as insurance fraud, financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult, and theft.

Sandmann’s legal career began in the spring of 2001 when he was hired as a law clerk in the Homicide Unit at The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office. For over 20 years, he prosecuted hundreds of felony cases dealing with crimes involving shootings, handguns, serious assaults, armed robberies, carjackings, felony drug crimes and wiretaps, as well as large-scale economic crimes. During his tenure in Baltimore City, he also tried well-over 50 jury trials to verdict.

In early 2019, he joined the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office and is now responsible for overseeing the annual budget, office operations and policy formulation.

Sandmann received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business, Finance in 1998 from Miami University in Oxford, OH. In 2002, he graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law and was admitted to the Maryland Bar.

Mary Murphy is a veteran prosecutor who has been praised for her work on a wide range of cases including homicide, child abuse, narcotics and property crime. She has been with the HoCoSAO since 1991, when she first joined as an Assistant State’s Attorney. She has worked in various capacities during her time at the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Ms. Murphy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Wheaton College and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Over the past 30 years, Ms. Murphy has been an active member in several professional and non-professional organizations, giving back her time and expertise when needed. In 1998, she was the recipient of the Howard County Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Service Award in Prosecution.

She is a fount of knowledge in the office, with everyone from entry level to senior attorneys coming to her for advice on matters related to current cases and the historical background of previous cases.

Before joining the HoCoSAO, Murphy was a litigation associate at the Baltimore City law firm of Weinberg and Green.

Victoria is a self-motivated manager with solid organizational and leadership skills. Throughout the course of her many office projects, it is evident she possesses an ability to provide exceptional customer service and goes above and beyond the normal course of duty to complete assigned tasks.

Rand has worked in Howard County Government in various capacities over the last ten years. In her current position, she is responsible for supervising a staff of 93 employees including training and maintaining personnel files. She also oversees an annual fiscal budget of over $14 million dollars, including payments and receivables. In her current position, she also serves as fiscal grant manager and payroll timekeeper. In addition, she is also responsible for implementing new processes and more efficient procedures related to IT management. She manages the reception and other administrative staff in various administrative process that keeps the office running smoothly.

Prior to joining the HoCoSAO, Ms. Rand worked in various managerial positions for Verizon Wireless and other local businesses. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Frostburg State University and has several certifications in different industries.

Yolanda M. Vazquez is an award-winning communications professional and veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience in the television industry, both on-camera and behind the scenes. She joined the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office in the spring of 2019 and currently serves as the External Affairs Director and Public Information Officer. In this role, Ms. Vazquez leads the development and execution of strategic communications initiatives that advance the office’s mission internally and externally. Her responsibilities include managing media relations, coordinating major community events, overseeing public messaging, and organizing speaking engagements on behalf of the State’s Attorney.

Ms. Vazquez is a member of the La Alianza Latina Commission and a recent graduate of the Leadership Howard County Premier Program (Class of 2025). She is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Before joining the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office, Ms. Vazquez worked as a general assignment reporter for Maryland Public Television and WJZ-TV in Baltimore. Her career also includes reporting positions in Kentucky, Texas, and Florida. Throughout her distinguished career, she has earned numerous accolades, including two Emmy Awards, two Associated Press Awards, and multiple Silver and Bronze Telly Awards.

Ms. Vazquez is an alumna of Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcasting and Film.

Email: yvazquez@howardcountymd.gov

Mr. Nelsen joined the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office in 2003. He currently leads a team of felony prosecutors who handle violent crimes such as murder, armed robbery, carjacking, and felony assault, as well as other felonies including burglary, arson, felony theft, drug distribution, and gun crimes. Mr. Nelsen previously worked for the Office of the State’s Attorney in Carroll County, and also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Raymond J. Kane, Circuit Court for Howard County.  He graduated, cum laude, from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science, Syracuse, NY in 1995, and received his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 1999.

McAllister joined the HoCoSAO in the spring of 2019 as the Deputy Chief of our Major Crimes Unit (MCU). In his current role, he provides direct supervision to the general crimes trial team who prosecute cases  in Circuit Court. Before joining the HoCoSAO, McAllister worked at The Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office as a Team Captain in their Major Investigations Unit and prior to that at The Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office as a Team Leader in their Felony Narcotics and Firearms Unit. McAllister graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from SUNY Brockport and received his law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2004.

Ms. Kirschner began her career with the HoCoSAO in 2001 as a member of the District Court Division. Over the next decade, she helped create and expand a more formalized Domestic Violence Unit, largely by securing grant funding that increased staffing. In 2008, she was appointed Chief of the Domestic Violence Unit. That same year, she co-founded the Howard County Domestic Violence Fatality and Near-Fatality Review Team in collaboration with the Howard County Police Department. In 2011, she joined the Circuit Court Division, where she handled felony cases, including domestic violence, animal cruelty, robbery, controlled dangerous substances, and homicides. In April of 2019, Ms. Kirschner was named Deputy Chief of the Special Victims Unit, where she handled a majority of the office’s felony domestic violence and animal cruelty cases, as well as other Special Victim Unit cases. She also returned to the Howard County Domestic Violence Fatality and Near-Fatality Review Team and, in January of 2022, was elected Co-Chair - a position she continues to hold today.

In July of 2023, Ms. Kirschner was named Chief of the District Court Division.  In this role, she oversees the administration of the division while continuing to prosecute cases. She is also a member of the Local Behavioral Health Advisory Board.

Before her tenure at the HoCoSAO, Ms. Kirschner worked as a judicial law clerk to Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge D. Warren Donohue. Ms. Kirschner received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Political Science from Rutgers College, Rutgers University, and her Juris Doctor from University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore.

Ms. Duclaux handles all cases involving juveniles that come through our office. She began her tenure with the HoCoSAO in 1996. She not only handles cases involving juveniles, but also elder abuse, vulnerable adults and serious traffic collisions. Ms. Duclaux graduated from SUNY at Binghamton with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She received her law degree from George Washington Law School.

Mr. Yaeger joined the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office in December of 2014. Since then, he has prosecuted felony and misdemeanor offenses charged in the Circuit Court for Howard County, handled felony drug distribution cases as a member of the office’s drug distribution unit, participated in wiretap investigations by drafting legal documents and by reviewing, provided legal advice to members of the Howard County Police Department’s Vice and Narcotics Unit on a wide range of issues such as electronic tracking, residential search warrants, chain of custody, confidential informant disclosure, and asset forfeiture, and Prosecuted violent felony offenses, including armed robbery, attempted murder, and first-degree murder.

From 2022 to 2024, Mr. Yaeger defended the Howard County Government in civil actions filed in state and federal court, prosecuted all civil enforcement actions for the Howard County government, provided legal advice to county agencies on topics related to code enforcement, and acted as legal advisor to Howard County’s Administrative Charging Committee at the Howard County Office of Law.

He received a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2006 and graudated J.D., cum laude, from the University of Maryland School of Law in 2011. He also served in the United States Marine Corps. Reserve from 2002 to 2008, having been deployed to Iraq from 2004 to 2005 as a basic electrician.

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.

With over two decades of years of experience as a criminal prosecutor, Natasha M. Byus serves as the Deputy Chief of Major Crimes unit in the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office.  Ms. Byus has sought justice for victims of crimes spanning from misdemeanor theft to sexual child abuse to murder. Ms. Byus believes that serving the community outside of the courtroom is just as important as her service inside of the courtroom.  For almost two decades she has dedicated her time to volunteering with HCPSS, the legal community, and with organizations committed to having a positive impact on the citizens of Howard County and beyond.

Ms. Byus grew up in Millbrook Projects in South Bronx, NY. She attended American University where she received her BA in Law & Society and graduated from The University of Baltimore School of Law.  Before being sworn in as an Assistant State’s Attorney, Ms. Byus served as law clerk to Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Thomas J.S. Waxter, Jr.

Jennifer W. Ritter has been with the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office since 2005.  During her time in the office, she has specialized in child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking cases. Prior to joining the office, Ritter clerked for the Honorable Clayton Greene, Jr. on the appellate courts of the State. She graduated from the University of Delaware with a BA in Political Science for her undergraduate studies and is an alumna of the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Steven Kang joined the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office in the fall of 2024. Before coming to Howard County, he served as an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, where he worked in the Post-Conviction Litigation Unit and held several other roles. In 2022, Mr. Kang spent several months as an Extern with the Organized Crime Unit at the Maryland Attorney General’s Office, where he drafted legal and trial memoranda, edited affidavits, and observed proffer strategy meetings. In May 2020, he interned with the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office, conducting research on Maryland statutes, case law, and constitutional issues.

Mr. Kang received a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from New York University and earned his law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. He currently serves as the Deputy Chief of the Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Division.

Youngju An joined the Howard County State's Attorney's Office in March of 2019.  Before coming to Howard County, she was an Assistant State’s Attorney with the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for 15 years where she prosecuted juvenile crimes and crimes involving felony drug crimes, handguns, drug trafficking, armed robbery, carjacking, kidnapping, home invasion, and wiretaps.  She was also a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) prosecutor where she investigated and prosecuted drug traffickers. She has tried over 50 jury and bench trials to verdict.

Ms. An received a Bachelor of Science in Business and a minor in English at Virginia Tech before receiving an MBA from Pennsylvania State University.  She then received her law degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. She currently serves as the Deputy Chief of the District Court Division.