what is the difference between prosecuting attorney and district attorney

by Carleton Kassulke 6 min read

Federal attorneys who represent the United States in prosecuting federal offenses are U.S. attorneys. A district or prosecuting attorney is the legal representative of the state, county, or municipality, whose primary function resides in instituting criminal proceedings against violators of state or municipal penal laws.

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, but ...

Full Answer

How does a district attorney and prosecutor differ?

prosecutor

  • Job duties. The job duties for defense attorneys and prosecutors differ because they represent different entities in court.
  • Education. Since prosecutors and defense attorneys are both lawyers, state laws require them to obtain a bachelor's degree, complete the LSAT exam, earn a law degree and pass the bar ...
  • Salaries. ...
  • Work environment. ...

Who would prosecute a district attorney?

The deputy who serves as the supervisor of the office is often called the assistant district attorney. Most prosecutions will be delegated to DDAs, with the district attorney prosecuting the most important cases and having overall responsibility for their agency and its work.

Is district attorney and prosecutor the same?

The district attorney’s office is not a private law firm. It is a public institution beholden to the People – hence, the public. 3. District Attorney and prosecutor are one in the same. But there is only one elected district attorney in a county or jurisdiction, and he/she hires assistant district attorneys (prosecutors). 4.

How long does the district attorney have to prosecute?

What is the term length of a district attorney? Generally, district attorneys are elected to a four-year term. 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?

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Is the DA and the prosecutor the same thing?

A district attorney is also referred to as a public prosecutor, state's attorney, or prosecuting attorney. The analogous position in the federal system is a United States Attorney.

What does a prosecuting attorney represent?

A prosecuting attorney is an attorney elected or appointed by local government officials to represent the state in a criminal case brought in a judicial district or designated county.

Who is above the district attorney?

In practice, district attorneys, who prosecute the bulk of criminal cases in the United States, answer to no one. The state attorney general is the highest law enforcement officer in state government and often has the power to review complaints about unethical and illegal conduct on the part of district attorneys.

Is prosecutor higher than a lawyer?

The prosecutor works to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt while the defense attorney attempts to create reasonable doubt so that their client is deemed innocent. If the jury says that an individual is guilty, the prosecutor and defense attorneys both help with sentencing.

What is the title of a local prosecutor?

The title of a local prosecutor is District Attorney in most states , but not all.

Who is the head of the local prosecutor's office?

The District Attorney is the elected official at the head of the local prosecutor’s office. He sets policy for the office’s administration of justice, but he rarely knows the specifics of any particular case. The various divisions of the office are headed by division chiefs who supervise individual prosecutors. The individual prosecutors are the ones who handle cases on a day to day basis, but they aren’t autonomous. They handle cases according to established policy and their individual orders.

What is a distract attorney in Oregon?

In Oregon the Distract Attorneys are the prosecutors for the State of Oregon in each county and they are identified by county, as in "Lane County District Attorney", and their offices are in the State Courthouses also identified by the individual county, as in Lane County Courthouse, which is where the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon, Lane County is housed. The DAs are elected by public vote and they are employees of the state. They hire a team of deputy district attorneys and work closely with state, county, and city law enforcement. They represent Oregon at grand jury and in state court

What is the name of the person who prosecutes a bad guy?

Prosecutor is the generic name for the appointed or elected official who “prosecutes” bad guys (defendants) in state or federal court. Prosecutor applies to both a District Attorney and a U.S. Attorney.

What does Florida call state attorneys?

Florida calls them State Attorneys (note the elimination of the possessive “apostrophe s.”)

What is a county attorney?

County attorneys are employees of the various counties and they advise the county on all legal matters, including proposed county ordinances, and represent the county in any civil law suits filed by or against their county in any court. They are called, for example "Lane County Attorney" which is confusing, or "Lane County Counsel".

What does an assistant DA mean?

Also, in official matters, the assistant DA or AG will refer to themselves as an Officer of the DA/AG or sometimes as an Attorney/Assistant For the DA/AG. In common usage though, people in the legal system often refer to the

What is a defense attorney?

A defense attorney is a lawyer who defends a person or business against criminal charges. They may have their own private legal practices, or the government may employ them as public defenders.

What is a prosecutor?

A prosecutor is a lawyer and elected official that represents an individual or an entire body of citizens of a jurisdiction when they press legal charges against a person or corporation.

Defense attorney vs. prosecutor

While both defense attorneys and prosecutors represent groups and individuals during a legal trial, their responsibilities and professional requirements differ. Here are some differences between a defense attorney and a prosecutor:

What is the difference between a city attorney and a district attorney?

The City Attorney has the main person. They have an assistant. They have a bunch of Deputies. They have supervising City Attorneys in each of the branches of the courthouses. The District Attorney is like a business. They have a head District Attorney and they have multiple Assistant heads. They’ve got office heads.

Where is the District Attorney's office in Los Angeles?

There’s one main District Attorney’s office which is in downtown Los Angeles actually in the criminal court building at 210 West Temple. The City Attorney’s office has their own offices as well. They’re in most of the courthouses. There are a few examples of courthouses where there’s only District Attorneys and they prosecute both felonies ...

How many different courts are there in Los Angeles County?

So, as far as the District Attorney’s go, most of the court in Los Angeles County staff the District Attorney’s office and there are about twenty-five different courts now.

Do district attorneys prosecute misdemeanors?

They’re in most of the courthouses. There are a few examples of courthouses where there’s only District Attorneys and they prosecute both felonies and misdemeanors. But in most of the courthouses, there’s both City Attorneys and District Attorneys, and again, the District Attorneys are usually prosecuting the felonies – the more serious cases, ...

Do city and district attorneys work together?

Sometimes they have to work together. Sometimes the City Attorneys and District Attorneys have to deal with a case where both a felony and a misdemeanor are filed. Sometimes somebody will be on misdemeanor probation and commit a felony, and then the City Attorney comes in and give their position on how they’re going to deal with their probation violation, for example, so it has to be coordinated between the defense attorney and also the District Attorney. So, a lot of times the City Attorney and District Attorney will work side-by-side on certain cases in certain situations.

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District Attorney

  • Synonyms: DA, Prosecutor, Prosecuting Attorney, State’s Attorney, Commonwealth Attorney Job Description:A District Attorney is a public position held by an individual who has been selected to represent the state during criminal justice proceedings. The DA is ultimately responsible for serving justice within the community. A District Attorney is ele...
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Assistant District Attorney

  • Synonyms: ADA, Prosecutor, Prosecuting Attorney, Deputy District Attorney Job Description:An Assistant District Attorney, or ADA, is the individual you probably think of when picturing a courtroom trial. The ADA is the prosecutor who stands before the courtroom presenting evidence the state has found against the defendant. When a criminal case is presented to the DA’s Office, …
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Defense Attorney

  • Synonyms:Public Defender, Defense Lawyer, Defense Counsel, Criminal Defense Attorney, Criminal Trial Lawyer Job Description:A Defense Attorney is the defendant’s legal representative in the courtroom and is responsible for protecting the defendant’s rights. A Defense Attorney provides legal defense for the accused by guiding clients through the legal process, seeking bail …
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State’S Attorney General

  • Synonyms:Attorney General, State Attorney General, Attorneys General Job Description:Each of the 50 states, as well as the U.S. territories, have an Attorney General serving as chief legal officer to work on criminal, civil, and consumer protection cases. These State Attorney Generals work under the leadership of the U.S. Attorney General. According to the National Association of Attor…
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U.S. Attorney

  • Synonyms:United States Attorney, USA Job Description:Appointed by the President of the United States, U.S. Attorneys prosecute federal crimes, rather than state crimes. In addition to prosecuting federal crimes, U.S. Attorneys prosecute and defend civil cases for the United States, as well as collect outstanding debts to the Federal Government. Just as District Attorneys have …
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Assistant United States Attorney

  • Synonyms: Federal Prosecutor, AUSA, Assistant U.S. Attorney Job Description:An Assistant U.S. Attorney represents the federal government by prosecuting federal criminal charges. In federal civil cases, a U.S. Attorney can serve as the prosecutor, or as the defense on behalf of the federal government. The AUSA is appointed to try individual cases at the discretion of the U.S. Attorney …
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U.S. Attorney General

  • Synonyms: Attorney General, United States Attorney General Job Description: The unique role of U.S. Attorney General applies to the individual who has been appointed by the President of the United States and leads the United States Department of Justice. The current Attorney General is Merrick Garland, who was sworn-in in March of 2021. Attorney General Garland directs approxi…
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