Anonymous asked this question on 4/29/2000:
What are your duties as a D.A.? What responsibilities do you have to face in the court rooms?
lakers gave this response on 4/30/2000:
The duties of a prosecutor are varied and cover all aspects of criminal proceedings. When police agencies submit cases for review, prosecutors determine what charges to file and issue a formal complaint or reject the charges if evidence is insufficient.
The next step is the arraignment calendar, where defendants enter not guilty pleas and the prosecution recites the facts of the case and makes recommendations for bail amounts. There is also a bail review calendar where the court receives additional argument on whether the original bail amount should be changed or not.
The next stage in court proceedings is a readiness hearing, where any plea bargain offers are made. If no plea is made, and the case is a misdemeanor, it would then proceed to trial. If it is a felony, it would proceed to preliminary hearing.
At preliminary hearings, the prosecution presents enough evidence and witnesses for the judge to make a factual determination that a "reasonable suspicion" exists that the defendant committed the crime.
In both felony and misdemeanor trials, the People present evidence to prove that a defendant has committed a crime beyond a reasonable doubt. At trial, the prosecution is responsible for opening statements, presenting evidence, cross-examination of defense witnesses, closing arguments and submission of requested jury instructions.
Many prosecutorial offices have "vertical units." That means that when a case is brought over by a police agency, the prosecutor who issues the case then handles that case throughout all proceedings. Special vertical units could include: Domestic violence, gangs, Major Narcotics, fraud, Child abuse etc. These cases require special expertise and/or victim/witness handling.
Additional duties include trial preparation, interviewing sex-crime victims, psychiatric calendars to determine mental health status of defendants, training for police agencies and a myriad of other responsibilities.
Law school graduates seeking immediate trial experience choose prosecution or public defender agencies because they are put in trial much quicker than joining a civil law firm. I am now a former prosecutor, but the trial experience I gained was invaluable and gives me a big advantage on many civil attorneys.
Hope this provides the information you were seeking.
The average rating for this answer is 5.
Anonymous rated this answer a 5.
Thank you soo much. It help alot. The answer was very clear and understandable. Thanks a lot!