how do district attorney offices work

by Colton Homenick 9 min read

District attorneys work with the defense attorney to select a jury to hear a case at the trial. The district attorney has the authority to excuse any juror who he or she feels can't render an impartial verdict. Once a jury has been formed, the district attorney allows them to receive a summary of the case.

Each district has an elected District Attorney. The District Attorney's Office prosecutes crimes against state laws and local ordinances and is staffed by attorneys who present the state's evidence to a judge or jury for a determination of guilt or innocence.

Full Answer

Where do district attorneys work?

While much of a district attorney's job can take place in a legal office, they can also work in other locations like libraries and courtrooms. Because district attorneys typically work for counties and state governments, they often collaborate with other professionals, like specialists and paralegals, to gather evidence to use in criminal prosecutions. While district attorneys usually have full-time work hours, most also spend time working overtime and on the weekends, especially while working on complex cases.

What can a district attorney learn from technology?

This can include learning communication technologies, video conferencing, voice messaging systems and email. It might also be necessary to learn how to use document management software, computerized litigation support and electronic discovery.

What is the process of prosecuting a crime?

Crime prosecution typically begins before charging a perpetrator. In most states, district attorneys first convene a grand jury before issuing a formal criminal charge or indictment. The prosecutor gathers witness testimonies and presents them before the grand jury, where members analyze the facts to determine whether to prosecute or not. Prosecutors are allowed to introduce testimonies and hearsay evidence that is inadmissible in a trial, to the grand jury.

Why do district attorneys need time management?

Time management skills can help a district attorney organize competing priorities and develop a strong work ethic. Time and calendar management skills can also help a prosecutor meet deadlines.

What skills do district attorneys need to be successful?

District attorneys should also possess problem-solving skills to evaluate and structure arguments and court proceedings.

How much do district attorneys make?

The national average salary for attorneys in the United States, including district attorneys, is currently $94,578 per year, which is a very competitive salary. However, the compensation that a district attorney receives can vary depending on their education level, experience and skills obtained throughout their career. Attorneys also typically receive employment benefits in addition to their salaries, like health insurance and professional development assistance.

What is a plea bargain in court?

A plea bargain refers to when a jurisdiction, through its district attorney, agrees to charge an accused person with a crime carrying a lesser penalty in exchange for a waiver to a trial. The district attorney can then present the plea agreement to the jury or judge to review the new charges and ensure that the defendant understands the agreement.

What does a district attorney do?

A district attorney leads a team of assistant district attorneys (ADAs), investigators and administrative support staff as they collectively seek to prosecute criminals, prevent crimes, and support/give a voice to the victims of crime. In fact, one could say that a district attorney controls the majority of decisions within our criminal justice system. For instance, the DA’s office works closely with law enforcement agencies and to piece together all of the evidence for a given case. The district attorney’s office also decides who to charge, what crime (s) to charge them with, whether to offer a plea deal or take a case to trial. District attorneys even provide recommendations to the court for sentencing.

What is the role of the DA in a criminal case?

After law enforcement makes an arrest, the DA’s office works alongside law enforcement to carefully review all the facts and evidence about a given case. While an arrest only requires law enforcement officers to have probable cause, a criminal trial requires prosecutors to have enough evidence to establish that each and every element of a crime can be proven beyond and to the exclusion of any reasonable doubt. Prosecuting violent and dangerous crimes is a priority for DA offices, as they seek to maintain public safety.

How does restorative justice work?

Restorative justice programs help offenders understand the harm they’ve caused to the community and ultimately restore relationships. Working with youth to promote positive lifestyle choices and the pursuit of education. Helping those with prior convictions to find job and re-enter society safely and effectively.

What are proactive measures taken by the DA?

Proactive measures taken by the DA’s office include things like: Going through special court systems to avoid jail time with the goal of breaking the criminal cycle. In these types of cases, offenders may be required to receive mental health treatment, provided housing solutions, or enter rehabilitation programs.

What does the DA do?

Yes, that’s a major part of the job, but the DA’s office also has other responsibilities, such as working to prevent crime and protecting and supporting crime victims.

Do prosecutor jobs get easier?

Prosecutors are notoriously swamped with cases, cases, and more cases. And prosecuting these cases requires skill, practice and time. While the job itself may never get any easier, we do live during a time when technology is available to alleviate some of the manual workload.

Does a district attorney have a term limit?

However, the position of district attorney has no term limits, so some district attorneys remain in their roles for decades. How does the district attorney’s office work proactively in the community? Many people think of the DA’s office as a place where lawyers work to prosecute and convict criminals.

What is a district attorney?

District attorneys, sometimes called county attorneys, state attorneys, or prosecutors, are responsible for representing the government against criminal offenders in court. In many places, a district attorney must be elected into the position. At the federal level, a district attorney is called a U.S. Attorney.

What Education Do I Need to Become a District Attorney?

It takes approximately seven years to become a lawyer. Four years consist of undergraduate studies and the remaining three years are spent in law school. Most states require potential lawyers to be graduates of an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited school to qualify for admission to the bar.

What is the job of a lawyer?

A lawyer can work in a variety of settings and specialize in many different areas. For example, a lawyer can specialize in family law and concentrate their practice in adoption, child support, and divorce. Some specialize in public-interest law, fighting with, or for, non-profit organizations and disadvantaged people. Other lawyers may choose environmental law, joining forces with government programs, advocacy groups, and waste-management facilities to defend nature and uphold laws designed to protect the planet.

Do You Have to Have Licensure to Practice as a District Attorney?

Required licensure for a district attorney involves the successful completion of one or more bar exams and admission into his or her state's bar association. The lawyer can then provide services within the state where he or she is approved. Circumstances that may prevent a student from admittance into a bar association are academic concerns, substance abuse, and legal offenses. A lawyer is also typically obligated to fulfill continuing education requirements to maintain active licensure and remain current in his or her area of expertise.

What is a district attorney?

A district attorney is an elected or appointed public official of a county or designated district whose duties are governed by state law.

What is the role of the Attorney General in impeachment proceedings?

To, when requested to do so by the Attorney General, assist the Attorney General in the prosecution of all impeachment proceedings which it is his or her duty to institute before a court involving any official or officials in their respective judicial circuits.

What does "to perform other duties" mean?

To perform other duties and exercise other powers as are or may be required by law.

What happens when a criminal case is removed from a circuit court?

If a criminal prosecution is removed from a court of his or her circuit, county, or division of a county to a court of the United States , to appear in that court and represent the state; and, if it is impracticable, consistent with his or her other duties, to attend that court , he or she may designate and appoint an attorney practicing therein to appear for and represent the state.

Where do you file a memorandum brief?

To, whenever requested by the Attorney General, file memorandum briefs in all criminal cases appealed from the circuit court of their judicial circuits to the Court of Criminal Appeals or the Supreme Court of the state.

Where to check criminal appeals?

To carefully read and check the record on appeal in all criminal cases appealed from the circuit court of their judicial circuit to the Court of Criminal Appeals or the Supreme Court of the state, and call to the attention of the trial judge any errors or discrepancies that may appear in the record.

Can a district attorney practice law?

All district attorneys and all full-time assistant district attorneys shall devote their entire time to the discharge of the duties of their respective offices, and each and every one of the officers are prohibited from practicing law, directly or indirectly, in any court of this state or of the United States, or in any other manner or form whatsoever, except in the discharge of the official duties of their offices.

What we do

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office (DAO) is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, serving more than 1.5 million residents of the City and County of Philadelphia. An independently elected office, the DAO’s mission is to protect the community and provide a voice for victims of crime.

Connect

You can find more about the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office on the City's legacy pages.

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Overview

Assistant district attorney

The assistant district attorney (assistant DA, ADA) (or state prosecutor or assistant state's attorney) is a law enforcement official who represents the state government on behalf of the district attorney in investigating and prosecuting individuals alleged to have committed a crime. In carrying out their duties to enforce state and local laws, ADA have the authority to investigate persons, is…

History

This term for a prosecutor originates with the traditional use of the term "district" for multi-county prosecutorial jurisdictions in several U.S. states. For example, New York appointed prosecutors to multi-county districts prior to 1813. Even after those states broke up such districts and started appointing or electing prosecutors for individual counties, they continued to use the title "district attorney" for the most senior prosecutor in a county rather than switch to "county attorney".

Role

The principal duties of the district attorney are usually mandated by law and include representing the State in all criminal trials for crimes which occurred in the district attorney's geographical jurisdiction. The geographical jurisdiction of a district attorney may be delineated by the boundaries of a county, judicial circuit, or judicial district.
Their duties generally include charging crimes through informations and/or grand jury indictment…

Departments

The district attorney usually divides their services into several departments that handle different areas of criminal law. Each department is staffed by several duly appointed and sworn ASAs. The departments of a large district attorney's office may include but are not limited to: felony, misdemeanor, domestic violence, traffic, juvenile, charging (or case filing), drug prosecution, forfeitures, civil affairs such as eminent domain, child advocacy, child support, victim assistance…

Nomenclature

The name of the role of local prosecutor may vary by state or jurisdiction based on whether they serve a county or a multi-county district, the responsibility to represent the state or county in addition to prosecution, or local historical customs.
District attorney and assistant district attorney are the most common titles for state prosecutors, and are used by jurisdictions within the United States including California, Georgia, Massachusetts,

Appeals

Depending on state law, appeals are moved to appellate courts (also called appeals courts, courts of appeals, superior courts, or supreme courts in some states). During the appeals process district attorneys, in many cases, hands all relative prosecutorial materials to a state appellate prosecutor who in turn will represent the state in appellate courts with the advice and consent of the district attorney.

District attorney investigators

Some district attorneys maintain their own law enforcement arm whose members are sworn peace officers. Depending on the jurisdiction, they are referred to as district attorney investigators or county detectives.

What Is A District Attorney?

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A district attorney typically works for a county or state government and acts as the prosecutor in criminal cases. Each state maintains a justice department responsible for criminal prosecutions. Cities, towns and counties also maintain justice departments responsible for prosecuting crimes against local and state or…
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Requirements For A District Attorney

  • Here are the requirements that aspiring district attorneys need to fulfill before finding work in the field:
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Work Environment For District Attorneys

  • While much of a district attorney's job can take place in a legal office, they can also work in other locations like libraries and courtrooms. Because district attorneys typically work for counties and state governments, they often collaborate with other professionals, like specialists and paralegals, to gather evidence to use in criminal prosecutions. While district attorneys usually have full-tim…
See more on indeed.com

Salary and Job Outlook For District Attorneys

  • The national average salary for attorneys in the United States, including district attorneys, is currently $94,578 per year, which is a very competitive salary. However, the compensation that a district attorney receives can vary depending on their education level, experience and skills obtained throughout their career. Attorneys also typically receive employment benefits in additio…
See more on indeed.com