James A. Murphy III

'James A. Murphy III (born c. 1961) is a Republican (also endorsed by the Independence and Conservative parties), is the elected District Attorney for Saratoga County, New York. Murphy is responsible for prosecuting all crime, including felonies, misdemeanors and violations in Saratoga County. In addition to his prosecutorial duties, he supervises assistant district attorneys, an investigations unit, a crime victim unit, and a large support staff. The district attorney represents the People of the State of New York in 44 justice courts across the county, in superior court, and before the grand jury. Under the constitution, the district attorney is the chief law enforcement officer of the police agencies having jurisdiction within the county. His office prosecutes nearly 10,000 criminal cases each year and nearly 90,000 vehicle and traffic offenses in a county with a population of more than 220,000 people, immediately north of Albany, New York, the state capital.

Murphy first joined the Saratoga County District Attorney's Office in 1988 as an assistant district attorney. He was appointed First Assistant District Attorney in 1996. He ran for the position of district attorney in 1997 and was sworn in on January 2, 1998, becoming one of the youngest district attorneys in New York State. He successfully ran for re-election in 2001, 2005, and 2009. In all, he has served for over 23 years as a prosecutor. His grandfather, former United States Congressman Carleton J. King served as the Saratoga County District Attorney from 1956-1960.