A District Attorney (DA) doesn’t just prosecute crimes – they are the linchpin in a city’s judicial system. Generally speaking, a DA is a lawyer who is elected or chosen by local government officials to represent the state government in criminal cases. The biggest responsibility of the DA is to ethically protect the needs of citizens and the community through the criminal justice system.
Deciding what cases to prosecute and which criminal charges to bring; the authority to investigate persons, grant immunity to witnesses, accused criminals, and plea bargain with defendants; and the ability to create or alter mandatory minimums.
