 Shield of an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) | |
| Occupation | |
|---|---|
Occupation type | Profession |
Activity sectors | Law practice, law enforcement, politics |
| Description | |
| Competencies | Advocacy skills, analytical mind, sense of justice, political fit |
Education required | Juris Doctor degree, bar exam |
Fields of employment | Government legal service |
Related jobs | Prosecutor, state's attorney, commonwealth's attorney, United States attorney |
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor 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 scope of the office varies by state. Generally, the prosecutor is said to represent the people of the jurisdiction in the state's courts, typically in criminal matters, against defendants. With the exception of three states (New Jersey, Connecticut, and Alaska, as well as the District of Columbia), district attorneys are elected, unlike similar roles in other common law jurisdictions.[1]
The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case against an individual suspected of breaking the state's criminal law, initiating and directing further criminal investigations, guiding and recommending the sentencing of offenders, and are the only attorneys allowed to participate in grand jury proceedings. The prosecutors decide what criminal charges to bring, and when and where a person will answer to those charges. In carrying out their duties, prosecutors have the authority to investigate persons, grant immunity to witnesses and accused criminals, and plea bargain with defendants.[2]
A district attorney or state attorney leads an office of other prosecutors and related staff. Staff attorneys are most commonly known as assistant district attorneys (ADAs) or deputy district attorneys (DDAs); in states where the head of office is called state attorney the staff attorneys are usually referred to as Assistant State Attorney (ASAs[3]). Most prosecutions will be delegated to the assistant attorneys, with the head-of-office sometimes prosecuting the most important cases and having overall responsibility for the agency and its work. Depending upon the state's law, the head may be appointed by the chief executive of the jurisdiction or elected by local voters.[4] 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.
- ^ Coppolo, George (February 24, 2003). "States that elect their chief prosecutors". Connecticut General Assembly. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
standardswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Assistant State Attorney". State Attorneys Office. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
- ^ Coppolo, George (February 24, 2003). "States that elect their chief prosecutors". Connecticut General Assembly. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.