A district attorney is responsible for prosecuting crimes in a particular district and deciding whether a case will go to trial. They work with a team of lawyers and staff and also assist victims of crime. They are often under pressure and may face criticism for their decisions.
A district attorney (DA) is an appointed or elected official who is responsible for prosecuting people accused of crimes in a particular district. Other names, such as “commonwealth attorney,” “crown attorney,” or “state attorney,” are often used to refer to people in similar positions around the world. The responsibilities of this lawyer are myriad and quite complex and he is usually supported by a large staff which includes other qualified lawyers, researchers, paralegals and so on.
In many areas, a district attorney also decides whether or not a case will go to trial. For example, law enforcement agencies may present evidence to the District Attorney that strongly suggests that someone is guilty of murder. If the District Attorney believes the evidence is solid and will stand up in court, he will charge the suspect and bring him to trial, leading the team of prosecutors attempting to secure a conviction.
The district attorney represents the government, working with a variety of other officials. Typically, he works only within a particular district, while an attorney general oversees a state or nation, sending assistants to prosecute crimes of a broader nature. In the United States, a district attorney does not prosecute federal crimes; this is reserved for US attorneys, who are federal employees who work in all US states.
District attorneys also work extensively in victim advocacy, as part of their role as prosecutors. DAs often assist victims of violent crime in obtaining compensation from victims’ funds, for example, or they may seek reparations during a criminal trial. In a large office, specific staff members may be responsible for victim services, providing resources that may be helpful to victims of crime.
The DA’s office tends to come under a lot of pressure in most regions, with people often holding it personally accountable if they feel that justice has not been done in a crime. District attorneys also face criticism over settlements and other policy moves that may on the surface appear to provide unfair deals to criminals. Especially in urban areas, where crime rates tend to be higher, the district attorney may be as much a politician as he or she is a lawyer, engaged in a complex dance with a number of agencies and the public in an effort to keep everyone happy.
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