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What's Changing in Prosecution? Report of a Workshop (2001) / Chapter Skim
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2 The Role of the Prosecutor
Pages 7-11

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From page 7...
... As the chief federal law enforcement officer of the United States within his or her jurisdiction, the U.S. Attorney has the responsibility to prosecute criminal cases brought by the federal government; to prosecute and defend civil cases to which the federal government is a party; and to collect debts owed to the federal government that cannot be collected administratively (U.S.
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From page 8...
... This is especially a responsibility for prosecutors in the United States. INVESTIGATIVE POWERS Workshop participants noted that in most civil law countries, the powers enjoyed by U.S.
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From page 9...
... In the United States, these activities are frequently used in the investigation of organized crime cases, large scope white-collar crimes, and cases of government corruption. One workshop participant described the kind of investigative work conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney's office to investigate, solve, and then prosecute cases related to major frauds in the financial industry.
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From page 10...
... Moreover, research on the impact of all of these prosecution activities is needed to distinguish policies that result in real improvements from those that may be popular or politically salient but are otherwise ineffective or even harmful. In thinking about our ability to conduct research on these matters, a number of workshop participants noted that the most dramatic changes in what prosecutors do usually occur in large jurisdictions, or in federal judicial districts that have significant crime, a wide array of social problems
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From page 11...
... Workshop participants noted that prosecutors have not been in the vanguard of change in criminal justice. When new policies are created they may be introduced incrementally and without a great deal of planning in response to political and public pressures such as follow a wave of violent crime.
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Key Terms

  • chief prosecutors
  • civil law
  • criminal justice
  • law countries
  • judicial districts

  • justice statistics
  • electronic surveillance
  • community plays
  • justice statutes
  • lenient trial

  • federal resources
  • street crime
  • especially drug
  • local politics
  • unevaluated policy

  • relatively major
  • community attitudes
  • setting priorities
  • investigative work
  • gun violence

  • work conducted
  • hears complaints
  • prominent examples
  • usually occur
  • significant crime

  • national policies
  • offices nationwide
  • law enforcement
  • legal culture
  • shifting local


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