A county attorney is a lawyer who represents a county or a city in civil matters and violations of county ordinances. County attorneys are sometimes referred to as district attorneys, state attorneys, and prosecutors, because they handle the same cases. States determine the type of cases their county attorneys will handle such as misdemeanor cases, felony cases, or civil matters. In some states, county attorneys are only able to represent their county in civil matters and are not able to be involved in criminal matters.
[Last updated in June of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]