what is the purpose of the commonwealth attorney

by Aglae Wintheiser Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 8 min read

The primary duty of each commonwealth's attorney is to prosecute all felonies and misdemeanors charged under the Code of Virginia occurring in his or her locality. In other states, this position is often named "district attorney" or "state's attorney."

What does the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney do?

The commonwealth's attorney prosecutes misdemeanor and felony cases for the city of Roanoke and the Commonwealth of Virginia in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District, General District, and Circuit Courts. Purpose. The position of commonwealth's attorney was established by the Constitution of Virginia. The voters of each city and county in Virginia elect a …

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

Purpose. The Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney is continually striving to develop policies and programs aimed at improving the quality of life in our community, protecting victims, and seeking timely sanctions for those who choose to violate our laws.

How long is the term for a commonwealth's attorney?

The Commonwealth’s Attorney is an elected, Constitutional, sworn law-enforcement official, independent in his duties from the County and State. His duties, responsibilities, and privileges are set out in the State Constitution, the Code of Virginia, and are supplemented by local ordinances. His main duty is the prosecution of criminal cases.

What does a state's attorney do?

May 05, 2020 · PURPOSE: The purpose of this position is to assist the office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in the prosecution of criminal cases for Sussex County. ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES: Assist the Commonwealth’s Attorney in prosecuting criminal defendants; Present witnesses, objects, photographs and other evidence of crimes by accused persons in court;

Who is Virginia's Commonwealth Attorney?

Bryan PorterBryan Porter presently serves as Commonwealth's Attorney in Alexandria. He has been a prosecutor since 2001 and began his first term as Commonwealth's Attorney in January 2014. The office is composed of fourteen attorneys and is located in the Courthouse at 520 King Street, suite 301.Sep 24, 2021

Who is commonwealth attorney in VA Beach?

ATTORNEY COLIN STOLLEVIRGINIA BEACH COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY COLIN STOLLE Since I began working at the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Virginia Beach in 1992, I've had one primary goal: keep the Virginia Beach community safe. Each and every member of my staff shares this commitment to fight for justice.

Who is the Roanoke city commonwealth attorney?

Commonwealth's AttorneyStaffNameTitlePhoneCaldwell, DonaldCommonwealth's Attorney540-853-2626

Who is the commonwealth attorney in Kentucky?

Thomas B. WineThomas B. Wine Commonwealth's Attorney. Thomas B. Wine, first elected as Commonwealth's Attorney in 2012, was elected to a second term in 2018, which will expire January 5, 2025.

Who is the commissioner of revenue in Virginia Beach?

General election for Virginia Beach Commissioner of the RevenueCandidate%VotesPhilip Kellam (D)56.286,347Ben Loyola (R)43.566,845Other/Write-in votes0.3424

Who won Roanoke Commonwealth Attorney?

Attorney Don CaldwellRoanoke Commonwealth's Attorney Don Caldwell was elected to an 11th term Tuesday.Nov 2, 2021

What is a prosecutor in Virginia called?

In Virginia, local prosecutors are elected constitutional officers called Commonwealth's attorneys.

Does Virginia have district attorneys?

The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Welcome to the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Led by United States Attorney Jessica D.

How many Commonwealth attorneys are in Kentucky?

One is called the Commonwealth's Attorney and the other is the County Attorney....Kentucky Commonwealth Attorneys: Directory.Judicial CircuitsCountiesTwenty-Second CircuitFayetteTwenty-Third CircuitEstill, Lee, Owsley55 more rows•Mar 26, 2019

Who is the commonwealth attorney in Pike County Ky?

Donald Smith -Donald Smith - Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney - Pike County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office | LinkedIn.

What is an attorney in the UK?

What's a counsel? A solicitor would be the UK equivalent of the US attorney-at-law. Counsel usually refers to a body of legal advisers but also pertains to a single legal adviser and is a synonym for advocate, barrister, counselor, and counselor-at-law. As to the abbreviation 'Esq.Oct 7, 2015

Purpose

The Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney is continually striving to develop policies and programs aimed at improving the quality of life in our community, protecting victims, and seeking timely sanctions for those who choose to violate our laws.

Suffolk Commonwealth's Attorney

What court does the Commonwealth Attorney represent?

The Commonwealth’s Attorney represents the Commonwealth of Virginia as prosecutor in the General District Court, the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, the Circuit Court, and in the Court of Appeals.

What is the Commonwealth Attorney?

The Commonwealth’s Attorney is an elected, Constitutional, sworn law-enforcement official, independent in his duties from the County and State . His duties, responsibilities, and privileges are set out in the State Constitution, the Code of Virginia, and are supplemented by local ordinances. His main duty is the prosecution of criminal cases.

What is the Fifth Amendment?

THE FIFTH AMENDMENT gives defendants the right to remain silent. This right is rooted in the American legal process wherein the burden of proof lies with the prosecutor and the defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

What is the role of a prosecutor in Virginia?

Crime victims in Virginia have protections under the Virginia Constitution, and prosecutors play an important role in protecting victims’ rights and ensuring that victims remain at the center of the criminal justice system.

What are the rights of defendants?

Defendants have extensive rights in our legal system. These rights stem directly from the Constitution of the United States, as well as the Constitution of Virginia. It is the job of Commonwealth’s Attorney to do everything in his or her power to protect the rights of anyone who is charged in a criminal case.

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 a DA?

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 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 an 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, ...

Is the salary of an ADA lower than the salary of an elected DA?

The salary of an ADA will be lower than the elected DA. The non-monetary benefits of the job induce many to work as an ADA; these include the opportunity to amass trial experience, perform a public service, and network professionally.

What is the Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth is often described as a 'family' of nations. At the heart of this family are 3 intergovernmental organisations: The Commonwealth Secretariat supports member countries to achieve the Commonwealth's aims. This website is run by the Commonwealth Secretariat.

How many countries are there in the Commonwealth?

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 independent and equal countries. It is home to 2.4 billion people, and includes both advanced economies and developing countries. 32 of our members are small states, including many island nations.

What is the Commonwealth Foundation?

The Commonwealth Foundation supports people's participation in democracy and development. The Commonwealth of Learning promotes open learning and distance education. Member countries are also supported by a network of more than 80 intergovernmental, civil, cultural and professional organisations.

Is the Rule of Law in Australia soundly based?

The Rule of Law Institute of Australia respectfully considers the reasons of the General Editor in the May 2021 issue of the Australian Law Journal are not soundly based and is of the view that it would be contrary to the Rule of Law to hold an inquiry into whether Mr. Porter is a fit and proper person to hold the office of Attorney-General.

What is the role of the Attorney General?

It is the Attorney-General’s role to make sure there is public confidence in the rule of law and that those in power , whether they are the Parliament, Executive, Judiciary, Media or Community leaders, adhere to the rule of law. In protecting the rule of law, the Attorney-General must ensure the law is allowed to take its course.

How do we uphold the rule of law?

We uphold the rule of law through our daily work to ensure: · laws are clear , predictable and accessible. · laws are publicly made and the community is able to participate in the law-making process. · laws are publicly adjudicated in courts that are independent from the executive arm of government.

Is the Attorney General a political figure?

The role of the Attorney General is not political or personal, he occupies a role which transcends these interests. LJ King wrote in the Western Australian Law Review in October 2000; “…a special responsibility for the rule of law and the integrity of the legal system which transcends, and may at times be in conflict with political exigencies, ...

What is parallel justice?

For criminal matters, the Attorney-General must ensure they are appropriately dealt with first by a police investigation and then by the judicial system. Parallel systems of justice and trial by media are contrary to the rule of law and erode public confidence in the integrity of the legal system to provide justice.

What is the DPP?

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is also a delegation under Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1983 to initiate and conduct public prosecutions. At its most basic level, the rule of law is a simple concept. It requires that we have laws that are known, adhered to and enforced.

What is a prosecutor?

A State's Attorney is the most common term for a prosecutor, someone who represents the people in criminal and civil legal matters. But while the most iconic image of a State's Attorney is ...

How are state attorneys elected?

In general, State's Attorneys are elected by the people they represent. Their duties are spelled out in the laws of the local governments they represent, and they're held accountable by the voters for how well they do their jobs and how well their performance matches up with the local politics of the area. But a State's Attorney hardly ever does ...

What is the job of a criminal prosecutor?

Criminal prosecutions are the chief duty of most State's Attorney offices. In many states, such as Michigan, criminal prosecutions follow a predetermined series of steps [source: Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan ]. First, police file a warrant or charging request with the State's Attorney following an investigation.

How do police arrest a suspect?

First, police file a warrant or charging request with the State's Attorney following an investigation. Attorneys review the request and may decide to issue a warrant, which allows the police to arrest the suspect. An arraignment in court follows, at which the suspect is formally charged with a crime and enters a plea.

What is an arraignment in court?

An arraignment in court follows, at which the suspect is formally charged with a crime and enters a plea. Depending on the type and severity of a crime, there can be several pretrial hearings. At some point during these hearings, a plea bargain may be offered to induce the suspect to enter a guilty plea. Advertisement.

How many judicial districts does the US have?

One U.S. Attorney is assigned to each of 93 federal judicial districts around the country and is the top law enforcement official for the federal government in those districts. From there, the attorney will prosecute criminal cases, represent the federal government and collect debts owed to the federal government.

What happens before a trial?

Before a trial takes place, the process of discovery takes place, at which the State's Attorney and the defense attorney share information they intend to introduce as evidence at trial.

Overview

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 countyor a group of counties. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state. Alternative titles for the office include coun…

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 informationsand/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, Delaware, Georgia, Mas…

Assistant district attorney

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.