who does the prosecuting attorney answer to

by Concepcion Casper 9 min read

A prosecuting attorney is a lawyer who usually works for the government to try criminal cases. His job is to initiate and carry out legal proceedings against a person who has been accused of a crime. On behalf of his national, regional, or local court system, he works to convict criminals or secure other forms of justice.

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.

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What does a prosecuting attorney do?

Prosecuting attorneys are the first to speak when a trial opens, laying out the case against the accused. They introduce and interview witnesses to present evidence that the accused is guilty as charged beyond a reasonable doubt. During the defense phase of the trial, prosecutors cross-examine witnesses introduced by attorneys for the accused. ...

What do you call someone who is a prosecutor?

Jan 23, 2010 · The role of a prosecuting attorney is to review all evidence against a party and with the help of police build a case against the person(s). They are …

How does the Prosecutor decide what to do with a case?

Oct 20, 2021 · Prosecuting attorneys begin a case by reviewing police reports and performing research. They may meet with witnesses or victims. They use their gathered information in court to present the case against the accused defendant. Prosecuting attorneys must follow cases through each stage of the judicial process and communicate with all involved parties.

What if I Have Questions about a prosecutor's conduct?

Feb 15, 2022 · A prosecuting attorney is a lawyer who usually works for the government to try criminal cases. His job is to initiate and carry out legal proceedings against a person who has been accused of a crime. On behalf of his national, regional, or local court system, he works to convict criminals or secure other forms of justice.

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Who 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.

What is the relationship between the prosecutor and the officers?

Prosecutors and police are interdependent, meaning they rely on each other for information and access to do their jobs, and that creates enormous conflicts of interest that undermine prosecutors' willingness to charge and prosecute police for misconduct and violence.

What is the relationship of the prosecution to the criminal justice system?

Prosecution services are, in fact, society's principal means of pursuing punishment of criminal behaviour and its interface with the adjudicative power. Only cases that are brought to courts by public prosecutors can be processed and adjudicated by judges.

What is withdrawal from prosecution?

Under s. 321, the Public prosecutor is empowered to withdraw from prosecution after consent of the court at any stage before the judgement is pronounced. The process of withdrawal from prosecution has as its prime actor – the Public Prosecutor or the Assistant Public prosecutor, and as supervisor – the court.

The Prosecutor’S Role During Investigations

  • Prosecutors do more than file charges based on police reports of crimes that have been committed. Often, they actively participate in the investigation of past or ongoing crimes, particularly in cases involving business fraud, public corruption, and organized crime (including drug rings). For example, they may design “sting” operations, ask for search warrants to obtain e…
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The Prosecutor’S Role in Charging Crimes

  • The prosecutor decides which crimes to charge. The most important check on this power is the requirement that the accusations be supported by “probable cause”—the legal standard that will spare a person from prosecution unless it’s more likely than not that a crime was committed and the defendant committed it. But even with this check, the prosecutor has considerable power to …
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Plea Bargaining

  • In most federal and state courts, prosecutors and defense counsel have a conversation at some point about “settling this matter.” In exchange for a guilty plea (sometimes to a specific crime), the prosecutor agrees to ask for a specific sentence (in some courts, the judge is part of the bargain, agreeing in advance to impose the agreed-upon sentence). The defendant avoids the risk of endi…
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The Prosecutor’S Role at Sentencing

  • While it’s the court’s role to impose a sentence, that sentence (a specific sentence or a range) is set by the offense that the defendant stands convicted of. Consequently, the judge will be constrained by the charges that the prosecutor has elected to bring against the defendant. Even if the defendant beats some of the charges or ends up convicted of lesser offenses, the court’s po…
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The Prosecutor’S Post-Conviction Role

  • Most defendants who are convicted of felonies appeal their convictions. They hire counsel or obtain counsel from the state; and the appellate division of the prosecutors’ offices handles the case for the government, arguing that the conviction and sentence should be upheld on appeal. Occasionally, defendants file writs of habeas corpus, in which they allege incompetence of their …
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What Restrains The Prosecutor’S Discretion?

  • Not much, but here’s a run-down of how abusive prosecutors can be brought to heel: 1. When prosecutors violate the Constitution. Courtesy of our system of checks and balances, the prosecution (a distinct arm of government from the courts) does not answer to a judge. Prosecutors do, however, answer to the state and federal constitutions, which makes them subj…
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Questions For Your Attorney

  1. I think the prosecutor has overcharged my case. How can we argue that in court? What do we have to prove?
  2. Does a prosecutor have to bring charges when the victim demands it? What if the victim objects to charges being filed—will this end the matter?
  3. I think the result in my case was unjust. How can we raise that on appeal?
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