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Functions and Responsibilities of the District Attorney |
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As
District Attorney, I believe everyone in Los Angeles County should
be able to live and work in a safe environment. Residents must feel
secure in their homes, on the job and in public places. For that
reason, prosecuting violent crimes the top priority of the District
Attorney's Office. The effective prosecution of dangerous criminals
- murderer,s rapists, robbers, and others who would do harm - helps
provide public safety. |
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cooperation of crime victims and witnesses is critical to achieving
justice. This section describes many of the responsibilities in
the District Attorney's Office and how we prosecute various crimes.
I am committed to making the District Attorney's Office responsive
to the diverse public safety and justice needs of all in Los Angeles
County. If we can be of help to you please call one of the phone
numbers listed here. |
Steve Cooly |
Los
Angeles County |
District Attorney |
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THE
D.A.'S OFFICE |
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The
district attorney is the lawyer for the people, a nonpartisan official
who is elected every four years. The District Attorney's Office
prosecutes all felony crimes in Los Angeles County. felonies are
crimes punishable by imprisonment in state prison or death. The
District Attorney's Office also prosecute misdemeanor crimes in
the unincorporated areas of the county. These cases are receive
by the District Attorney's Office from state attorney and municipal
law-enforcement agencies, its own bureau of investigation and regulatory
entities. |
| The
office is the largest local prosecutor agency in the nation. The staff
of approximately 2,200 includes 1000 Deputy District Attorneys, Nearly
300 investigators and over 800 support personnel. |
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D.A.
RESPONSIBILITIES |
| ARSON - fires costs and millions of dollars
in losses and result in serious injury to civilians and firefighters.
Specially trained prosecutors handle the investigation and vertical
prosecution of significant arson cases. |
| BAD CHECK ENFORCEMENT - obtains payment
on bad checks and educate individuals on how to handle personal finances. |
| CAPOS - provides specially
trained prosecutors to handle crimes against peace officers and respond
to the scene when a peace officer is wounded or killed. |
CAREER
CRIMINAL - prosecutors target persons with his histories
of violent criminal behavior to ensure that these predators received
long prison sentences. |
| CHILD
ABUSE - Prosecutors are specially trained to handle
these very sensitive cases. They work closely with with local agencies
on both investigations and prosecutions. |
| COMMUNITY
PROSECUTION - assigns attorneys to certain areas in
the county to work with local agencies to combat neighborhood crime,
curtailing gang activity, and assist with crime prevention programs. |
| CONSUMER
PROTECTION - Attorneys prosecute businesses and individuals
who defraud and chew the public. |
| CRIME
PREVENTION - programs advise citizens on how to avoid
becoming crime victims. Early intervention program for youth addresses
truancy, gangs, and drugs. These efforts underscore the District Attorney's
commitment to the youth and in crime prevention. |
| ELDER
ABUSE - is a tragic and often unseen crime. The District
Attorney's Elder Abuse unit, prosecute those who abuse older people.
It also engages in outreach efforts to educate and to protect potential
older victims. |
| FAMILY
VIOLANCE - attorneys prosecute is often hidden crime,
helps victims obtain restraining orders, and provide referrals to
appropriate social agencies to further assistant victims. |
| FORENSIC SCIENCE SECTION - attorneys have
attorneys have created a call case task force to reveal prosecute
unsolved homicide using DNA technology any coordinate" convention
request for DNA testing they also handle complex made meteorological
cases. |
| GANG - leaders
and their members are prosecuted by the Hardcore Gang Division, which
worked closely with local law enforcement to investigate and prosecute
serious gang-related crimes. |
| GRAND JURY - presentations by the District
Attorney involve complex and sensitive criminal cases and other issues
of public concern for which the Grand Jury is the appropriate forum. |
| HATE CRIMES - committed because of the
victim's race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender,
or disability are given special attention by the District Attorney's
Hate Crimes Section. The District Attorney is dedicated to eradicating
hate crimes in Los Angeles County. |
| HEARING OFFICERS - are specially trained
non-attorneys who hear matters out of court, seeking to resolve neighborhood
and other disputes. This program saves tax dollars and citizen time. |
| INSURANCE FRAUD - cost taxpayers millions
of dollars every year. Specially trained attorneys prosecute criminals
who commit auto insurance fraud, welfare fraud, and workers compensation
fraud. |
| INVESTIGATIONS - are conducted by the
D.A.'s Bureau of Investigation, working with various special units
to assist in prosecuting criminal activity .Bureau investigators are
an integral part in achieving many core missions of the D.A.'s office. |
| JUSTICE SYSTEM INTEGRITY DIVISION - prosecutors
and investigators work with state and local law enforcement agencies
to handle allegations of criminal misconduct by those sworn to uphold
e law in the criminal justice system. |
| JUNIVAL DIVISION - attorneys prosecute
youthful offenders engaging outreach programs to assist troubled youths. |
| LEGESLATION - is important part of the
District Attorney's job. As the chief prosecutor the of most populous
county in California the, the D.A. develop state legislation needed
to control crime. |
| MAJOR FRAUDS - handles complex fraud cases
committed by sophisticated terminals. |
| MAJOR NARCOTIC - prosecutors work with
federal state and local law enforcement agencies to fight narcotics
traffickers and seized their illicit drugs and money. |
| ORGANIZED CRIME - and terrorist groups
present a real threat. Prosecutors in investigators work with multi-agency
task force to prevent organized and terrorist crimes, and apprehend
and prosecute those who do great harm to our society and it's institutions. |
| PUBLIC INTEGRITY DIVISION - attorneys
and investigators target criminal wrongdoing by elected and appointed
public officials and within public institutions to insure confidence
in local government. |
| SEX CRIMES - such as rape and child molestation
receive special attention from a unit of highly trained and skilled
prosecutors. They seek to assist the victims as well as convict the
perpetrators. |
| VICTIM IMPACT PROGRAM - enables specially
trained prosecutors in branch offices to prosecute victim-sensitive
cases from filing through sentencing. |
| VICTIM-WITNESS ASSISSTANCE PRORAM - advocates
provide counseling and assistance to crime victims and witnesses. |
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