Criminal
Prosecutions encompasses the Major Crimes Unit,
the Juvenile Unit, the General Felony Unit, the Misdemeanor
Unit, and the Sexual Assault/Family Protection Unit.
With the exception of the Major Crimes Unit, all units have
a supervising attorney to handle immediate supervisory responsibilities,
while the chief deputy of Criminal Prosecutions provides
direction and guidance regarding filing decisions, trial
strategy, unit assignments, three strikes and death penalty
cases, grant applications, and grant reporting obligations.
The chief deputy of Criminal Prosecutions also acts as a
liaison to the six law enforcement agencies in the county
and is responsive to inquiries from the public. This division
handles most of the over 23,500 criminal cases filed each
year by the District Attorney's Office.
Attorneys
in the Major Crimes Unit report directly to the chief deputy
of Criminal Prosecutions. In addition to prosecuting the
most heinous crimes from homicides to gang-related drive-by
shootings, the unit also provides legal assistance to law
enforcement agencies 24 hours per day in areas such as search
warrant preparation, crime scene response, and evaluation
of officer-involved shootings. The chief deputy assigns
cases to the prosecutors in the Major Crimes Unit and provides
input and direction as a case proceeds from the investigative
stage through sentencing.
In
addition to overseeing the prosecutorial units, the chief
deputy of Criminal Prosecutions also serves as liaison to
both the civil and criminal grand juries, and sits on numerous
countywide committees that address law enforcement issues.
