United States Attorney for the District of Columbia

The United States Attorney for the District of Columbia is the United States Attorney responsible for representing the federal government in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Unlike other municipalities, Washington, D.C., is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. By statute, the U.S. Attorney is responsible for prosecuting both federal crimes and all serious crimes committed by adults in the District of Columbia. Therefore, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia serves as both the federal prosecutor (as in the other 92 U.S. Attorneys' offices) and as the local district attorney. The  Attorney General of the District of Columbia is currently appointed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia but handles local civil litigation and minor infractions only.