Who determines charges?
The DA does! Police arrest someone on specific charges, but it is the job of the DA to determine what charges will hold in court.
Does the DA determine sentencing?
No. The judge will be the one that determines the sentence. The prosecutor's job is only to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is guilty. If they successfully do that, then the sentencing will proceed and be given by the Court.
Does the DA work on every case?
No! Hundreds of thousands of cases come through the office every year. It would be impossible for the DA to be involved in every single case on top of his duties as the DA. However, the DA does get the opportunity to choose which cases he would like to be involved in.
What is concurrent vs. consecutive?
When charges run consecutively, that means whatever sentence you receive for each count will run one after the other. When charges run concurrently, the largest sentence of all the counts you receive will be the time that you end up serving.
Why does a case get dismissed?
A case gets dismissed after it is determined that there is not enough evidence to prove in trial that a person committed a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
What causes a mistrial?
Anything the court determines will interfere with its ability to conduct the trial, and be fair to both parties.
What type of schooling is required to get some sort of law degree?
In order to become a lawyer, you need to graduate from High School or receive your GED. Following this, you need to attend and graduate from an accredited 4-year University. After this, you will need to attend an ABA-approved law school for 2-3 years depending on the program. Lastly, you need to pass the bar exam.
Do you have to have a law degree to work in the DA's office?
If you would like to work as an attorney; then yes. However, there are many different positions at the DA's office that does not require you to have a law degree! For example, many of our administrative positions do not require a law degree. Also, every attorney is assigned a “Trial Assistant”. They assist attorneys with paperwork, coordinating with victims and a multitude of other tasks. You do not need a law degree to do this!