what is the difference between the attorney general and the district attorney

by Mr. Levi Walker 7 min read

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 ...

How does a district attorney and prosecutor differ?

An Attorney General is a direct legal advisor to the government. Attorney generals have the authority/responsibility for law enforcement or even responsibility for legal affairs generally. Where as an District Attorney is the chief prosecutor for a local government area, leading a team of deputy district attorneys.

What does a district attorney do?

The District Attorney is usually the county attorney dealing with routine crimes within a specific county. The Attorney General is usually involved in statewide cases or setting regulations to help outline things like consumer protection rights under existing laws.

What is a district attorney lawyer?

 · The attorney general of the state typically reports to the voters of the state. At the Federal (US Government) level, the attorney general is delegated by the President of the United States and reports to the POTUS. The US attorney general is liable for practically all criminal cases and all respectful prosecution legitimately against the USA.

What is a district attorney general?

 · Both the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General are political appointees, not career/civil service employees with tenure protections, and therefore they serve at the pleasure of the President. The same is true of United States Attorneys, who act as head federal prosecutors in the respective federal judicial district in each state.

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What is the difference between a United States attorney and a district attorney?

District attorneys do not prosecute federal crimes, which are the jurisdiction of a United States Attorney. Many district attorneys also bear responsibilities not related to criminal prosecution.

What is the difference between Ada and DA?

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, the DA assigns the case to one of the ADAs, who will then compile evidence and manage further case proceedings.

What does a US district attorney do?

A district attorney is a public official who is appointed or elected to represent the state in criminal judicial proceedings in a particular judicial district or county; an appointed or elected officer who prosecutes cases in a particular judicial district.

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.

How powerful is a district attorney?

District attorneys have the power to choose which charges are filed against an individual accused of a crime. When the police arrest someone, the district attorney's office has the power to prosecute those cases, divert the accused to a program or drug treatment, or dismiss the case altogether.

What powers does the US attorney general have?

As the chief officer of the Department of Justice, the attorney general enforces federal laws, provides legal counsel in federal cases, interprets the laws that govern executive departments, heads federal jails and penal institutions, and examines alleged violations of federal laws.

How many district attorneys are there in the United States?

Below is a listing of current United States Attorneys for all 94 districts....U.S. Attorneys Listing.DistrictUnited States AttorneyDistrict of ColumbiaMatthew M. Graves *Florida, MiddleRoger B. HandbergFlorida, NorthernJason R. Coody90 more rows

Is a district attorney a lawyer?

The D.A. or District Attorney is a lawyer in the U.S. who works for the state and prosecutes people on behalf of it. There are also, of course, defense attorneys in America who act on behalf of their clients.

What is the relationship between the Attorney General and the Attorney General?

A U.S. Attorney, and the Attorney General of the United States are Federal lawyers, dealing with Federal law and issues. There can be some overlap, as the States can be involved in suits against the Federal Government and the Federal Government can be involved in state law issues on the federal level.

What is a district attorney?

District Attorney is an attorney for a specific geographic area, like a State’s Attorney. It can be an elected or appointed position, depending upon the state.

What is a prosecutor?

Continue Reading. Prosecutor is a generic term that refers to the individual lawyer that is representing the State against a criminal defendant. Prosecutors include district attorneys and assistant district attorneys, city attorneys, attorney generals and assistant attorneys general, etc...

What does it mean to attend a grand jury?

To attend on the grand juries, advise them in relation to matters of law, and examine and swear witnesses before them.

How many states have an attorney general?

The most prevalent method of selecting a state attorney general is by popular election. 43 states have an elected attorney general.

What is the role of a DA?

In most states, the DA is elected and has responsibility for both the criminal prosecution of state criminal law and the civil representation of the county or district. The major difference between the DA, or their attorneys, is the location and authority in representing the people.

What is the role of a state attorney?

The State’s Attorney might also be responsible for providing legal advice to government units within that geographical area. A State’s Attorney for a specific county may handle all criminal cases within the county and provide legal advice to the political unit (such as a County Board) which runs the county.

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 an assistant attorney general?

There are roughly 94 such courts, each with their own Geographical Boundaries. By and large they are the “trial lawyers” for the District. An Assistant Attorney General is an employee of the Justice Department who is not limited by geography but is usually limited by subject matter: Civil Rights, Sex trade, gang activity, Anti-Trust. Generally speaking, when you hear from either, it’s time to lawyer up and shut up.

Who is the head of the DOJ?

The Deputy Attorney General (currently Rod Rosenstein) is the second-in-command, and assumes much of the day-to-day operations of DOJ; moreover, as is true currently with the investigation of...

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.

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.

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

A state attorney acts as a state legal representative while a district attorney is a prosecuting officer of a judicial district, he represent state in a distict level.

Is a state attorney more accurate?

The term "State's Attorney" is therefore probably more accurate, but even in those states which use it, each county (district) has it's own "States Attorney," which prosecutes crimes, etc., that are allegedly committed in that county.

Who is the North Carolina Attorney General?

We are not connected to the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office. For state matters, please call the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office at 919- 716-6400.

How to contact the federal public defender in North Carolina?

You may contact the Federal Public Defender's Office for the Western District of North Carolina at 704-374-0720.

How to file an ADA complaint?

To file an ADA complaint, you may fill out this form www.ada.gov/t2cmpfrm.htm and mail or fax the form to:

What crimes violate both state and federal laws?

Some crimes may violate both state and federal laws, such as bank robbery. In these cases, the U.S. Attorney's Office works closely with state and local law enforcement officials to to determine whether a case will be brought in federal or state court. 4.

What are the crimes that are federal?

Some federal crimes involve narcotics, bank robbery, fraudulent activity that affects interstate commerce, wire fraud, mail fraud or tax fraud, any crime in which the United States is defrauded, guns, environmental crimes, and civil rights violations . Some crimes may violate both state and federal laws, such as bank robbery. In these cases, the U.S. Attorney's Office works closely with state and local law enforcement officials to to determine whether a case will be brought in federal or state court.

Do we represent individuals in civil litigation?

No, we do not represent individuals in litigation against other persons, companies, or government agencies. We represent the United States of America in criminal, civil and other proceedings.

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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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