There are currently 15 deputy district attorneys
assigned to the District Court Unit including the District Attorney and
the First Assistant District Attorney. There are four staff assistants
assigned to the unit.
The District Attorney’s Office first becomes
involved in a criminal action on the day after a person is arrested for
a felony crime or when the police refer a case to our office for a
filing decision on felony charges. A District Court deputy is assigned
to the case and reviews police reports, witness statements, criminal
histories and any other information concerning the crime and the suspect
in order to make a decision regarding what, if any, charges will be
filed.
The deputy who makes the decision on charges in the
case is responsible for the prosecution of the case. This extends from
the charging phase through the ultimate disposition or trial of the
matter and on to the sentencing of the defendant. The prosecution of a
case typically includes plea negotiations that may lead to a plea
agreement. The deputy has an opportunity to recommend both a type of
sentence and terms and conditions of the sentence to the judge.
The person ultimately responsible for the
sentencing of a defendant who has pled guilty or been convicted at trial
is the judge presiding over the case. Unless limited by a plea
agreement, the judge has broad discretion in the range of sentences that
may be imposed on a defendant. The court may send a defendant to prison
or to a community half-way house. In the alternative, the court may
grant probation with terms or conditions that must be followed as a
condition of the probation. If a defendant fails to follow the
sentencing orders of the court, he or she will be brought back in front
of the judge for a hearing in order to determine if the defendant did
fail to comply with the orders. If the judge finds that the defendant
violated the orders, they can be re-sentenced and new conditions may be
imposed.
District Court Deputies are assigned cases on a
four-week rotating cycle
