what is the job of the district attorney of california

What does a district attorney do?

District attorneys (DAs) are more than just prosecutors. The district attorney’s job is to seek justice in criminal cases, work to prevent crime, and serve as a leader in the diverse communities they represent. The DA is also an elected official.

How does the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office work?

More than 800 clerical and support staff round out the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. They include victim services representatives, who assist and guide crime victims through the criminal justice system. An elected district attorney is responsible for running the office.

How many district attorneys in California?

The DA is also an elected official. In California, we have 58 elected DAs each representing one of our 58 counties. WHAT MAKES A DA SO POWERFUL?

What can the district attorney do about officer-involved shootings?

Your DA can take officer-involved shootings seriously by investigating them and holding police accountable, or they can turn a blind eye to officers who shoot and kill members of our community. Overzealous prosecution by DAs and harsh punishment caused mass incarceration.

Who oversees district attorneys in California?

The California attorney general carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice. The department employs over 1,100 attorneys and 3,700 non-attorney employees.

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.

What is a district attorney vs attorney?

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 ...

Are District Attorneys powerful?

District attorneys in California have tremendous power to impact the lives of millions of people, their families, and entire communities. If someone is accused of committing a crime, it is not the police but the DA who has the sole power to decide if criminal charges are filed and the severity of those charges.

Who is the DA of California?

Los Angeles County District AttorneyDistrict Attorney of Los Angeles CountyIncumbent George Gascón since December 7, 2020SeatClara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center 210 West Temple Street Los Angeles, California, United StatesTerm lengthFour yearsConstituting instrumentCharter of the County of Los Angeles5 more rows

What do district attorneys 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.

Are district attorneys elected in California?

Elections for the office of district attorney are held every four years at the same time as elections for the Governor, with the exception of Los Angeles and San Francisco counties. Candidates for the office must fulfill the educational requirements to practice law in California before running for election.

Is a 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.

How are district attorneys selected?

District attorneys are either elected by the local constituents they represent or appointed by the chief executive of the jurisdiction. Except for the District of Columbia and three states—Connecticut, New Jersey, and Alaska—other 47 states across the country elect their District Attorneys.

Who is the DA of LA County?

George GascónGeorge Gascón is the 43rd District Attorney for Los Angeles County. He took office on Dec. 7, 2020, and immediately instituted a series of policies based on science, data and research to bring change within the criminal legal system.

Why would a DA call me?

The DA is required to call you under the Victim Bill of Rights because this is a domestic violence case. They could get in trouble if they did not do so. They have to send you a victim impact statement, get your position on the case, find out...

Why is the prosecutor so powerful?

Abstract. Prosecutors are the most powerful officials in the American criminal justice system. The decisions they make, particularly the charging and plea-bargaining decisions, control the operation of the system and often predetermine the outcome of criminal cases.

What is the power of a district attorney in California?

District attorneys in California have tremendous power to impact the lives of millions of people, their families, and entire communities. If someone is accused of committing a crime, it is not the police but the DA who has the sole power to decide if criminal charges are filed and the severity of those charges.

What is a DA in California?

California. DAs are supposed to serve the interests of the people who live in their county. DAs are public servants who not only work in courtrooms, but also affect your day-to-day life by supporting or opposing statewide policies and deciding how to spend taxpayer dollars.

Why should DAs seek justice?

DAs should seek justice and ensure equal treatment under the law. They can make sure the right people are charged for the the right reasons, or allow the system to target people because of race, because they can’t afford a lawyer, or because they are disabled.

Is the DA above the law?

No one is above the law, not even police officers. Your DA can take officer-involved shootings seriously by investigating them and holding police accountable, or they can turn a blind eye to officers who shoot and kill members of our community.

What is the job of a prosecutor?

It is the prosecutor's job to make certain the evidence available and admissible in the case is sufficient to meet this burden. The prosecutor generally relies on the police to produce sufficient evidence of the crime, but it is the prosecutor's ultimate responsibility to investigate illegal activity.

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

Conduct Trials. If a criminal case goes to trial, the prosecutor must first work with the defense attorney to select a jury to hear the case. The prosecutor must investigate the background of jurors for potential bias and may excuse any candidate who likely cannot render an impartial verdict.

What is the discretion of a prosecutor?

Prosecutors are given wide discretion over whether to prosecute an offender. Even if the evidence seems solid in the grand jury proceedings, there is always the possibility that the evidence will not be enough to move forward; witnesses disappear; or evidence reveals that another perpetrator was actually responsible. Criminal charges stemming from a police investigation, as opposed to a grand jury, often present a prosecutor with the difficult choice of accepting the charges or declining to prosecute. Citizen complaints alleging criminal activity are often declined due to a lack of evidence.

What is the role of the state government in the prosecution of crimes?

Each state government maintains a department of justice responsible for the prosecution of crimes. Counties, cities and towns also employ attorneys to prosecute crimes against state or local ordinances. These departments are staffed by attorneys who present the government's evidence to a judge or jury for a final determination of guilt. Known as a county or city attorney, district attorney, commonwealth attorney, prosecutor, state's attorney or deputy attorney general, these legal professionals are granted wide discretion with regard to deciding whether to prosecute, what charges to file and whether to permit a plea agreement.

What is the purpose of a grand jury?

The prosecutor presents evidence in the form of witness testimony before the grand jury, whose members then decide whether there is probable cause for a criminal charge. Grand jury proceedings are closed to the public and are not subject to the rules of evidence. As such, hearsay evidence and testimony otherwise inadmissible in a trial may be introduced to the grand jury. In most jurisdictions, grand juries are reserved for the indictment of felony crimes only .

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 Are Typical Duties of a District Attorney?

A district attorney routinely reviews police reports, assesses whether to bring criminal charges against perpetrators, prosecutes criminal cases in the courtroom, and communicates with victims, law enforcement, judges, and criminals. The work schedule of a district attorney can be hectic.

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.

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.

What Other Areas Can Lawyers Specialize In?

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.

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 is a county prosecutor in Ohio?

In Ohio a county prosecutor represents the county and state within their county, prosecutes all crimes within the county, and is legal adviser to the board of county commissioners, board of elections, and all other county officers and boards.

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 the role of a district attorney?

Role of the DA. The primary role of the District Attorney is to protect the community he or she is elected to serve. District Attorneys represent the public and endeavor to improve public safety by prosecuting those who threaten the well-being of the community and its citizens by breaking the law.

What is the purpose of the California District Attorneys Association?

The mission of the California District Attorneys Association (CDAA) is to promote justice by enhancing prosecutorial excellence. To that end, CDAA is THE source of continuing legal education and legislative advocacy for its membership.

What is the CDAA Foundation?

The CDAA Foundation has launched a new campaign aimed at encouraging young people from all backgrounds to consider becoming prosecutors and fostering greater diversity in district attorney’s offices throughout the state.

What is the CDAA audit?

December 22, 2020—Earlier this year, the CDAA Board of Directors became aware of an internal accounting management practice that negatively impacted certain funds dedicated to environmental protection and worker safety. In response, CDAA commissioned a full and independent forensic financial audit of the programs by the outside accounting firm of Hemming Morse, LLP. The audit revealed a longstanding past financial practice, beginning in 2004, which resulted in the borrowing of certain restricted funds to support general functions of the organization. While the audit revealed no evidence of intentional malfeasance, it did identify a pattern that violated best practices and accepted accounting standards for restricted purpose funds.

How long has CDAA trained prosecutors?

The COVID-19 pandemic brought so many changes to everyone’s personal and professional lives. CDAA has trained prosecutors for nearly 50 years with live training events and extensive manuals and periodicals.

What is the 2020 CDAA?

At the 2020 Winter Workshop in Rancho Mirage, January 13-17, CDAA recognized 14 programs developed by district attorney's offices as recipients of the CDAA Excellence in Innovation Awards . These awards recognize creative, “out-of-box” programs from district attorney’s offices andother prosecuting agencies that promote justice, public safety, and/or victim advocacy in ways that are innovative, effective, and/or cost-saving. The selection committee looks for programs that are unique, as well as easily replicable by other counties. For details about the winning programs, click HERE.

When did the CDAA Board of Directors become aware of the internal accounting practice?

December 22, 2020 —Earlier this year, the CDAA Board of Directors became aware of an internal accounting management practice that negatively impacted certain funds dedicated to environmental protection and worker safety.

When was the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office established?

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office was established by an act of the California Legislature on Feb. 27, 1850.

Where are criminal cases filed in Los Angeles County?

Criminal cases are filed at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in downtown Los Angeles and at branch, area and juvenile courthouses throughout Los Angeles County.

What are the cities with prosecutors?

Ten cities, including Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Monica and Pasadena, have city prosecutors who handle misdemeanor crimes and municipal code violations that occur within their jurisdictions. Deputy district attorneys are prosecutors who represent the people of the State of California.

Requirements For A District Attorney

• Here are the requirements that aspiring district attorneys need to fulfill before finding work in the field:

See more on indeed.com

Work Environment For District Attorneys

Salary and Job Outlook For District Attorneys