In the United States, a district attorney ( DA ), state's attorney or state attorney is the chief prosecutor for a local government area, typically a county. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state. Alternative titles for the office include county attorney, commonwealth's attorney, solicitor, or county prosecutor.
Assuming that a defendant's decision is neither unethical nor illegal ("My decision is that you should bump off the prosecution witness"), the lawyer is the defendant's agent and must either carry out the defendant's decision or convince the judge to let him withdraw from the case.
In addition to these prosecutorial duties, county attorneys serve as counsel to their counties’ fiscal courts, districts, commissions, boards, and county officials in all legal issues (excluding Fayette County). For example, if a new easement is to be constructed, county attorneys advise elected officials on the county’s rights as a landowner.
In other jurisdictions, the district attorney prosecutes traffic matters and/or misdemeanors. In some states the district attorney prosecutes violations of state laws to the extent that the state permits local prosecution of these. District attorneys do not prosecute federal crimes, which are the jurisdiction of a United States Attorney.
County attorney is an elected position in the state of Texas according to the state's constitution.
Depending upon the state's law, DAs may be appointed by the chief executive of the jurisdiction or elected by local voters. Most criminal matters in the United States are handled in state judicial systems, but a comparable office for the United States Federal government is the United States Attorney.
The President appoints a United States Attorney to each of the 94 federal districts (Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are separate districts but share a United States Attorney).
Duties of the County Attorney Prosecute all violations of state criminal laws and county ordinances. Provide legal advice to the Board of Supervisors and county and township officers concerning county matters. Represent and defend the state, county, and its officers in officially related cases.
Depending on the state, an elected prosecutor may go by titles like “District Attorney,” “State Attorney,” “Prosecuting Attorney” or “County Attorney.” They are elected to 4-year terms by the voters in the county or local district that they serve.
Below is a listing of current United States Attorneys for all 94 districts....U.S. Attorneys Listing.DistrictUnited States AttorneyCalifornia, CentralStephanie S. Christensen ^California, EasternPhillip A. Talbert *California, NorthernStephanie Hinds90 more rows
U.S. attorneys are appointed by the President of the United States for a term of four years, with appointments subject to confirmation by the Senate. A U.S. attorney continues in office, beyond the appointed term, until a successor is appointed and qualified.
Salary Ranges for District Attorneys The salaries of District Attorneys in the US range from $13,279 to $356,999 , with a median salary of $64,623 . The middle 57% of District Attorneys makes between $64,627 and $162,013, with the top 86% making $356,999.
The president appoints U.S. attorneys, who mainly serve as administrators. Assistant U.S. attorneys handle the bulk of the trial work. The U.S. attorney general, who is the chief law enforcement officer in the United States and the head of the Department of Justice, has supervisory responsibility over U.S. attorneys.
The County Attorney is legal adviser to the County Board of Commissioners and other County personnel and legal advocate for the county in court cases in which the county is a party. The County Attorney is not required to provide legal advice to members of the general public.
County Attorney News Lyness graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1989.
Thomas KunstleThomas Kunstle is the Sioux County Attorney.
Primary tabs. 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.
The New York County District Attorney, also known as the Manhattan District Attorney, is the elected district attorney for New York County (Manhattan), New York.
The District Attorney (DA) is a constitutionally elected county official. The District Attorney is responsible for the prosecution of criminal violations of state law and county ordinances occurring within a county under California Government Code Section 26500.
The PresidentThe President shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, an Attorney General of the United States. The Attorney General is the head of the Department of Justice.
This is a list of American state-level prosecutors, often known as district attorneys.In states which hold partisan elections for prosecutorial positions, the party affiliation of each prosecutor is noted.
Answer (1 of 4): A district attorney is usually the chief prosecutor at the county level. An attorney general is the chief lawyer at the state level. At the federal level there is the attorney general of the United States who advises the president. Just below the U.S. attorney general are many U....
Learn about what a district attorney does, including their typical job responsibilities, the qualifications they need to fulfill and their average salary.
Role & Duties of a District Attorney. 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 ...
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. A district attorney is also referred to as a public prosecutor, state’s attorney, or prosecuting attorney.
Many people refer to the county attorney as the public’s first line of defense in our judicial system because county attorneys come in contact with practically all criminals in our court system. County attorneys handle many types of cases: DUI, domestic violence, child abuse, all juvenile crime, traffic violations, misdemeanor theft, and assaults, in other words, every criminal case and misdemeanor that is heard in district court.
Efforts are made to involve families and their children in solving the problem, such as arranging for counseling. Dependence, neglect, and abuse cases do not involve juvenile crimes, but rather crimes against children, such as neglect or abuse.
Juvenile cases are broken down into three categories: status, dependence, and criminal. These cases are heard in a separate division of district court, which is usually referred to as juvenile court. Status cases involve acts that wouldn’t be considered crimes if adults committed them.
County attorneys are elected in their counties of residence every four years. To become a county attorney in Kentucky, a person must be at least 24 years of age, is required to be a citizen of Kentucky, must have been a resident of the state for two years, and must reside in the county for which he or she serves, one year prior to the election. Lastly, the county attorney candidate must be a licensed practicing attorney for two years prior to election.
If removal is permanent, it may mean the termination of parental rights. Criminal offenses are juvenile crime cases that are tried in district court and are prosecuted by the county attorney.
The most obvious responsibility is the prosecution of all violations of criminal law within the jurisdiction of the district court ; that includes all misdemeanors, such as DUI offenses, other traffic violations, assault, and theft of less than $300.
Dependency cases result when children are deprived of basic rights, including the right to adequate food, clothing, and shelter; the right to be free from physical, sexual, or emotional injury or exploitation; the right to develop physically, mentally, and emotionally to their potential; the right to educational instruction; and the right to a secure, stable family. If deprived of these rights, children must be removed from their homes until the situation is corrected. If removal is permanent, it may mean the termination of parental rights.
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The defendant objected to the lawyer telling the jury that he committed the acts in question and, when testifying, claimed that he was innocent. At the trial's penalty phase, the lawyer again acknowledged his client's guilt but asked for mercy in light of the man's mental and emotional issues.
To enforce this right, defense attorneys are ethically required to: relay the prosecutor's offer to accept a particular plea to their client.
One day, Randy's lawyer phones him to say that he's worked out a good deal with the prosecutor: If Randy pleads guilty (or nolo contendere) to simple assault, the prosecutor will recommend that Randy be given a sentence of time served (the jail time he already served while waiting to make bail), and a small fine.
Before making an important decision, a defendant is entitled to know what alternatives are reasonably available and, as far as can be predicted, the likely consequences of each. For example, assume that the defendant is charged with assault with a deadly weapon. The defense attorney tells the defendant, "The prosecutor is willing to accept a guilty plea to simple assault and recommend a sentence of six months in county jail and a fine of $500. The decision is yours—what do you want to do?"
The Court explained that the Sixth Amendment, which guarantees a defendant's right to "the Assistance of Counsel for his defence," means that someone facing charges gets to choose the defense's objective. The Court said that lawyers are entitled to make certain decisions about how to defend their clients, but not when it comes to this kind of "fundamental choice" about the defense.
relay the prosecutor's offer to accept a particular plea to their client. It doesn't matter if the defense attorney believes that the defendant's offer won't be accepted or the prosecutor's offer is unacceptable.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
After levying criminal charges, the state's attorney will then prosecute those charged with a crime . This includes conducting discovery, plea bargaining, and trial . In some jurisdictions, the district attorney may act as chief counsel for city police, county police, state police and all state law enforcement agencies within ...
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, 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 or a group of counties. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state. Alternative titles for the office include …
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".
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 informations and/or grand jury indictment…
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…
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, Georgia, Massachusetts,
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, ADA have the authority to investigate persons, is…
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.
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.