The U.S. Department Of JusticeThe United States Department of Justice, or “DOJ,” is the executive department responsible for enforcing U.S. law and administering justice. The U.S. Attorney General serves as the head of the Department, which is headquartered in Washington D.C. DOJ’s mission is to enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Delaware
The United States is divided into 94 federal judicial districts. Within each district, a United States Attorney serves as the chief federal law enforcement officer. Delaware has one federal judicial district with its office located in Wilmington. U.S. Attorneys and their Assistant U.S. Attorneys conduct most of the trial work in which the United States is a party. U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate, and they serve under the direction of the U.S. Attorney General and DOJ in Washington D.C. Each U.S. Attorney exercises wide discretion in the use of his or her resources to further the priorities of the local jurisdictions and needs of their communities.
The United States Code delegates three statutory responsibilities to U.S. Attorneys under Title 28, Section 547:
• The prosecution of criminal cases brought by the Federal government;
• The prosecution and defense of civil cases in which the United States is a party; and
• The collection of debts owed the Federal government which are administratively uncollectible.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Delaware prosecutes violations of federal crimes occurring in our district. Although criminal prosecutions are our most visible function, much of our caseload is handled by our civil division.
Some examples of federal criminal cases include terrorism, human trafficking, major drug trafficking operations, internet child pornography, interstate kidnappings, financial fraud, tax fraud, health care fraud, counterfeiting, civil rights, immigration crimes, organized crime and public corruption.
Our civil division provides legal representation to the federal government, its agencies and employees in civil court actions. Civil matters range from defending the federal government against a claim by an individual, a group of individuals, a corporation or even an entire state. In addition, our monetary penalties unit serves as a collection agent for judgments taken on debts to the federal government, including delinquent loans and unpaid fines.
As the lead federal law enforcement agency in Delaware, we work cooperatively with law enforcement agencies at all levels: municipal police departments, the state attorney general's office, federal law enforcement agencies, and on occasion, foreign law enforcement agencies and international police. Some of our common partners in criminal prosecutions are the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); U.S. Secret Service; Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation Division; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Marshals Service; and the Social Security Administration.
The mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware is:
To protect and serve the citizens of Delaware through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, and, in doing so, to defend the national security, improve the safety and quality of life in our communities, protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States, maintain a courteous and professional working environment, and, with skill and integrity, seek to do justice in every case.