{"id":352225,"date":"2024-01-23T13:15:56","date_gmt":"2024-01-23T18:15:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/criminal\/criminal-legal-help\/district-of-columbia-district-attorneys.html"},"modified":"2024-01-23T13:15:56","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T18:15:56","slug":"district-of-columbia-district-attorneys","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/dc-law\/district-of-columbia-district-attorneys.html","title":{"rendered":"District of Columbia District Attorneys"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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District of Columbia District Attorneys<\/h1>\n
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\n By Sarah Williams, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Melissa Bender, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n

Most states organize courts into judicial districts, each covering one or more counties. A District Attorney (D.A.) heads each district. The D.A.’s office prosecutes state criminal offenses within its judicial district. Sometimes, the D.A. refers serious felony cases to a grand jury to secure an indictment<\/a> for criminal charges.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\r\n

Due to its small geographical size and unique administrative structure of not being a state but having its own laws, Washington, D.C. doesn’t have D.A.s. Instead, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia<\/a> is in charge of prosecuting criminal cases within its jurisdiction.<\/p>\r\n

The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) handles both federal and local crimes, prosecuting them in a manner similar to states.<\/p>\r\n

The article below provides legal information about the unique structure of the District’s U.S. Attorney’s Office and other legal services in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\r\n

What the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. Does<\/h2>\r\n

Aside from enforcing federal laws in the nation’s capital, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Columbia prosecutes local felonies and some misdemeanors<\/a> similar in scope and procedure to most states’ District Attorneys.<\/p>\r\n

The District of Columbia USAO is the largest in the nation. On the federal side, the office investigates and prosecutes federal crimes such as:<\/p>\r\n