TheUnited States attorney for the District of Columbia (USADC) is responsible for representing thefederal government in theUnited States District Court for the District of Columbia. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia has two divisions, the Civil Division and the Criminal Division. The Civil Division is responsible for representing federal agencies in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and in appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Criminal Division prosecutes federal crimes in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, including cases involving national security, public corruption, violent crime, and narcotics trafficking.[1]
Unlike the states, theDistrict of Columbia is under theexclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. By statute, the U.S. attorney is responsible for prosecuting both federal crimes and allserious crimes committed by adults in the District of Columbia. Therefore, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia serves as both the federal prosecutor (as in the other 92 U.S. attorneys' offices) and as the localdistrict attorney. Theattorney general of the District of Columbia, who is elected by the people of the district, handles local civil litigation and minor infractions, comparable with acity attorney.
Because its jurisdiction covers the precincts of theUnited States Congress and the headquarters of several U.S. government agencies, the USADC is considered one of the most influential U.S. attorneys in the United States, along with theU.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Appointment to the role is considered a significant career achievement for prosecutors.
List of U.S. attorneys for the District of Columbia
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