The role of a prosecutor is to seek justice and help victims. … If you care deeply about maintaining and enforcing the rule of law, find criminal law and litigation stimulating and have a desire to help victims, a career in prosecution could be the right choice for you.
1Prosecutors are the most powerful officials in the American criminal justice system. They control the direction and outcome of all criminal cases, particularly through their charging and plea-bargaining decisions.
Important qualities of a prosecution attorney include strong communication skills, enthusiasm for public service, charisma and an ability to handle high-pressure situations. In addition to a law degree, experience is key.
And if you enjoy litigation (not all prosecutors do), it can be actually thrilling. Depends on how you define “fun.” If you enjoy working in a challenging, ever-changing, and intellectually-stimulating field, then yes, it can be fun.
Typically, prosecutors base their initial charging decisions on the documents sent to them by the arresting police officers (usually called police or arrest reports). The police complete an arrest report soon after they make an arrest and then quickly forward the report to a prosecutor assigned to do case intake.
The prosecutor’s job is to see that all the relevant facts, including those favorable to an accused, are placed before the court and to present those facts in an ethical, fair, dispassionate, firm and clear manner. Prosecutors must refrain from all actions which could lead to the conviction of innocent persons.
Just listen to the question, and answer in as few words as possible. The less information you give the opposing attorney to work with, the less he can do on cross-examination. When you answer questions, be as truthful and as brief as possible. Don’t lose control or get upset.
The Aspirant Prosecutor Programme is an internship programme within the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) National Prosecutions Service (NPS) that entails in service training, which assists law graduates in gaining practical prosecutorial experience.
The circumstances of a prosecutor’s work are compounded by work stress, including heavy caseloads, consequential decision- making, and long hours, as well as common personal life stressors like childcare, healthcare, finances, and relationships.
To be successful, prosecutors must have the cooperation of the police, judges, victims, and witnesses. These actors in criminal justice, in turn, depend on prosecutors.
The decision to prosecute is based on the following factors: The sufficiency of the evidence linking the suspect to the offense. The seriousness of the offense. The size of the court’s caseload.
There is no doubt that prosecutorial discretion is a necessary and important part of our system of justice — it allocates sparse prosecutorial resources, provides the basis for plea-bargaining and allows for leniency and mercy in a criminal justice system that is frequently harsh and impersonal.
prosecution | DA |
---|---|
government | state |
district attorney | prosecuting agent |
prosecuting attorney | state’s attorney |
Prosecutors shall perform an active role in criminal proceedings, including institution of prosecution and, where authorized by law or consistent with local practice, in the investigation of crime, supervision over the legality of these investigations, supervision of the execution of court decisions and the exercise of …
First, the judge will ask your name, date of birth, address, and possibly your Social Security Number. You will usually be asked if you were in the military and if you are married, single, or divorced. These are questions that are easy for most people.
If your answer was not correctly stated, correct or clarify it immediately. Don’t say, “that’s all of the conversation” or “nothing else happened.” Instead say, “that’s all I recall” or “that’s all I remember happening.” It may be that after more thought or another question, you may remember something important.
You must ask questions beginning with words such as Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, Describe, Tell, Explain, etc. You should ask questions that allow the witness to provide her own answer. For example, “Witness, what did you see at the intersection of A and B streets?”
One of the main reasons why you should study Law is that it is a fascinating and broad discipline. … Law also enables you to better understand human behaviour and our society. As you listen to people’s stories, it will become a lot easier to empathise with them and understand their feelings, reasons, and struggles.
A lawyer is a person who is licensed to practice law. A prosecutor is a lawyer that works for a prosecutors office, which is essentially a government law firm whose only client is the State, and the State pays the prosecutors office to uphold it’s laws. The State lawyers (prosecutors) don’t do investigating.
Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | |
---|---|---|
Top Earners | $100,000 | $8,333 |
75th Percentile | $100,000 | $8,333 |
Average | $74,889 | $6,240 |
25th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 |
Applicants who wish to become public prosecutors must appear for the examination that is set by the Union Public Service commission (UPSC). The written test is followed by an interview. The selected candidates will be notified through mail. Person must practice as an Advocate for a period of not less than seven years.
There are ample benefits to prosecutorial discretion. This power allows the prosecutor to mitigate the time and expense of a trial through expedient decision-making and plea bargaining. In the case of a plea bargain, the accused offender spends less time sitting in jail awaiting the necessary preparations for trial.
A prosecutor may drop a criminal charge if it is determined that the evidence against the accused isn’t strong enough. Or, perhaps new evidence is found which undercuts the prosecution’s case against the defendant.
The U.S. Supreme Court is the only court established by constitutional mandate | True |
---|---|
All evidence points to the conclusion that prosecutorial discretion is used to | Screen out the weakest cases |
Which of the following is the most common reason for prosecutors to reject cases | Evidence problems |
prosecutor can best be conceptualized as a lawyer with no client but with several important constituencies,” including the police, victims of crime, other government agencies and the courts).
Among these are that victim harm may affect the police officer’s decision to investigate the case, but it has little effect on the decision to arrest; evidence is the most important factor in the decision to accept the case for prosecution; and the type of conviction and the defendant’s prior record are the primary …
The Role of the Prosecutor