what is a district attorney versus the attorney general

Is district attorney elected or appointed?

The local -or state- district attorney is an elected office, like the mayor or city council. The public (voters) votes them in -or out- of office just like any other elected office. Only a handful of states have appointed local district attorneys.

What kind of cases does district attorney get?

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS. What type of matters does the District Attorney's office handle? The District Attorney's office handles felony matters and juvenile matters filed in the district court, misdemeanor cases filed in county court, and various traffic matters.

What is the role of a district attorney?

What does a district attorney do?

• Prosecuting suspected lawbreakers. District attorneys have the authority to decide whether or not to prosecute an accused person. ...
• Conducting investigations. Crime prosecution typically begins before charging a perpetrator. ...
• Offering plea bargains. ...
• Investigating and presenting evidence. ...
• Litigating appeals. ...
• Attending trials. ...

Who do district attorneys work for?

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.

U.S. Attorney General

At the state level, most attorney generals are chosen by popular vote. The US attorney general gives guidance to the lead representative and the state legislature. They aren’t straightforwardly liable for criminal indictments, in spite of the fact that they may offer help with exceptionally prominent cases.

What is the difference between a US Attorney and Attorney General?

An attorney general is the legal counselor liable for most cases by or against a state or the US Government. At the federal level, prosecutors are known as U.S. attorneys. There is a U.S. attorney for each federal court district in the United States.

Attorney General Duties

The mission of the Office of the Attorney General is to administer and coordinate the organization and activity of the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Bureau of Prisons, Office of Justice Programs, and the U.S.

Attorney General Salary US

The salary rate for an attorney general is the highest in New York and the lowest in North Carolina. Here is another state-by-state breakdown of the salary for an attorney general in the United States.

Conclusion

A US attorney is also known as the prosecuting attorney that brings cases forward against the US federal government, and the attorney general represents the country in legitimate issues and concerns.

What is a district attorney?

In the United States, a district attorney ( DA ), state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a local government area, typically a county. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state.

What is the jurisdiction of a district attorney?

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 indictments.

What is a prosecutor district?

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.

What does a county attorney do?

For example, in Arizona, Missouri, Montana, and Minnesota a county attorney represents the county and state within their county, prosecutes all felonies occurring within the county, and prosecutes misdemeanors occurring within unincorporated areas of the county.

What states use state attorneys?

State's attorney or state attorney is used in Connecticut, Florida (state attorney), Illinois, Maryland, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Vermont. In Maryland, the roles of Assistant and Deputy are reversed from those used in "District Attorney" jurisdictions, with Deputy State's Attorney being the primary subordinate to the elected State's Attorney and Assistant State's Attorneys (ASA) being the line-level prosecutors of the office.

What is the role of a prosecutor?

In carrying out their duties, prosecutors have the authority to investigate persons, grant immunity to witnesses and accused criminals, and plea bargain with defendants. A district attorney leads a staff of prosecutors, who are most commonly known as deputy district attorneys (DDAs).

What is a DA?

In the United States, a district attorney ( DA ), state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a local government area, typically a county. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state.

What is a district attorney?

District Attorneys. A lawyer who represents the state in local criminal cases is usually referred to as the "District Attorney," although, depending on your state, these attorneys can go by other titles such as "Prosecuting Attorney" or "County Attorney.". The Attorney General of a state typically represents the state in civil cases, ...

What does the Attorney General do?

The Attorney General of a state typically represents the state in civil cases, but in some states the Attorney General prosecutes all criminal cases. District Attorneys play a major role in investigating and prosecuting cases which is why it's important to learn more about the District Attorneys in your state.