In the United States, a district attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor representing a U.S. state in a local government area, typically a county. The exact name and scope of the office varies by state. Alternative titles for the office include county attorney, commonwealth's attorney, solicitor, or county prosecutor. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case against an individual suspected of breaking the law, init
County judge. The term county judge is applied as a descriptor, and sometimes as a title, for a person who presides over a county court. In most cases, such as in Northern Ireland and the Victorian County Courts, a county judge is a judicial officer with civil or criminal jurisdiction.
Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. In the United States, the term country lawyer or county-seat lawyer may be applied to identify an attorney living and practicing primarily in a rural area or town, or an attorney pursuing a legal practice that displays certain (potentially idealized) hallmarks of rural or small-town legal practice.
In states like New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, the County Courts conduct trials on misdemeanor, and even some felony, i. e. criminal matters.
County Judges do not require any formal qualifications in the discipline of law. Most are not qualified to practice law – in 2015, 42 of County Judges (17%) had graduated from Law school and only 40 (16%) were licensed to practice law.
Word forms: state's attorneys. countable noun. A state's attorney is a lawyer who prepares cases on behalf of the state and represents the state in court. [US]
A lawyer (also called attorney, counsel, or counselor) is a licensed professional who advises and represents others in legal matters.
A county attorney in Texas has the following duties: Represents the state in prosecuting misdemeanor criminal cases. Works with law enforcement officers in the investigation of criminal cases. Provides legal advice to the Commissioners Court and to other elected officials.
Attorney General's Office (United Kingdom) Crown Prosecutor, the title given in a number of jurisdictions to the state prosecutor. Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office (Incorporated into the CPS in 2010) District attorney (US)
What are the two main types of lawyers? There are two main types of lawyers in criminal law are attorney and prosecutor.
A lawyer and an attorney is exactly the same thing, which means that they're synonyms for the same legal professional. We in South Africa, refer to lawyers and attorneys, whereas in the USA, for example, they refer to councilors.
Note: Some counties do not have both a County Attorney and a District Attorney. These counties have either a Criminal District Attorney or a combination County and District Attorney. In these counties, one office performs the functions of both the County Attorney and the District Attorney.
In practice, district attorneys, who prosecute the bulk of criminal cases in the United States, answer to no one. The state attorney general is the highest law enforcement officer in state government and often has the power to review complaints about unethical and illegal conduct on the part of district attorneys.
A district attorney is a public official who is appointed or elected to represent the state in criminal judicial proceedings in a particular judicial district or county; an appointed or elected officer who prosecutes cases in a particular judicial district.
barrister, one of the two types of practicing lawyers in England and Wales, the other being the solicitor. In general, barristers engage in advocacy (trial work) and solicitors in office work, but there is a considerable overlap in their functions.
A lawyer is anyone who could give legal advice. So, this term encompasses Solicitors, Barristers, and legal executives. A Solicitor is a lawyer who gives legal advice and represents the clients in the courts. They deal with business matters, contracts, conveyance, wills, inheritance, etc.
counsel. legal a lawyer who gives someone legal advice and represents them in a court of law.
Bankruptcy Lawyer. Bankruptcy lawyers are experts in the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, and handle insolvency issues for individuals or corporations. ... Business Lawyer (Corporate Lawyer) ... Constitutional Lawyer. ... Criminal Defense Lawyer. ... Employment and Labor Lawyer. ... 6. Entertainment Lawyer. ... Estate Planning Lawyer. ... Family Lawyer.More items...
Attorney vs Lawyer: Comparing Definitions Lawyers are people who have gone to law school and often may have taken and passed the bar exam. Attorney has French origins, and stems from a word meaning to act on the behalf of others. The term attorney is an abbreviated form of the formal title 'attorney at law'.
Key Takeaways. The term 'lawyer' is an umbrella term for both solicitors and barristers. Solicitors provide general legal advice on a variety of issues. Barristers are specialists in certain legal fields that solicitors can instruct on behalf of their client to appear in court.
What Is an Esquire? If the term “esquire” seems antiquated, that's because the term originated in the Middle Ages from the Latin word "scutum," which means a shield. That term eventually evolved into the Middle French word "esquier" for a shield bearer.
In most cases, such as in Northern Ireland and the Victorian County Courts, a county judge is a judicial officer with civil or criminal jurisdiction. In the United States, however, there are some "County Courts" which exercise ...
Tennessee and Oregon both have county courts which are executive agencies, and which thus carry responsibility for funding local courts, jails, and Sheriff's departments, maintaining county roads, managing local property developments, and levying county-wide property taxes.
Texas. In Texas, the County Courts have original jurisdiction established under sections 15 to 17 of Article V the State Constitution. Each of Texas's 254 counties has a single County Court which shall be a "court of record" (section 15) which "has jurisdiction as provided by law" (section 16), which is exclusive over "Class A" ...
Juries in criminal trials "shall consist of six persons; but no jury shall be empaneled to try a civil case unless demanded by one of the parties, who shall pay such jury fee therefor, in advance, as may be prescribed by law, unless the party makes affidavit that the party is unable to pay the jury fee" (section 17).
bail - Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
The plaintiff initially decides where to bring the suit, but in some cases, the defendant can seek to change the court. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases. A federal court in one state, for example, can usually only decide a case that arose from actions in that state.
Federal criminal juries consist of 12 persons. Federal civil juries consist of six persons. plaintiff - The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit. plea - In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges in open court.
To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal.". Both the plaintiff and the defendant can appeal, and the party doing so is called the appellant. Appeals can be made for a variety of reasons including improper procedure and asking the court to change its interpretation of the law.
appellate - About appeals; an appellate court has the power to review the judgment of another lower court or tribunal. arraignment - A proceeding in which an individual who is accused of committing a crime is brought into court, told of the charges, and asked to plead guilty or not guilty.
charge to the jury - The judge's instructions to the jury concerning the law that applies to the facts of the case on trial. chief judge - The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court. The chief judge also decides cases, and the choice of chief judges is determined by seniority.
capital offense - A crime punishable by death. In the federal system, it applies to crimes such as first degree murder, genocide, and treason. case law - The use of court decisions to determine how other law (such as statutes) should apply in a given situation.
What is a Court-Appointed Attorney? (with pictures) When brought before a judge, a charged individual will be given the option to use a court-appointed attorney to present his or her case to the court. Generally referred to as public defenders, court-appointed attorneys are lawyers who provide legal counsel to those who have been criminally charged ...
In the United States, access to a court-appointed attorney is a defendant's right under the 6th Amendment; the Miranda Rights require that police inform suspects when they are criminally charged of their right to an attorney. Court-appointed attorneys are employed by the federal government in most cases, but some work for non-profit entities ...
Legal Right. Also known as public defenders, court-appointed attorneys defend those who otherwise cannot obtain or pay for legal counsel. The landmark case of Gideon v. Wainwright in 1963 is largely responsible for the public defense system that is in place in the US today; during this case, the US Supreme Court put a requirement in place stating ...
The 6th amendment guarantees an individual the right to a court-appointed attorney if they can't afford counsel. When a charged defendant is brought before a judge for a hearing, the judge will usually ask the defendant if he or she wants to hire an attorney privately or use a court-appointed attorney for his or her defense.
In Europe, the requirements vary slightly: the defendant must prove a lack of means to pay for legal counsel and it must be in the interest of justice. A court-appointed attorney is only available to suspects of capital offenses in China, leaving many suspects without proper legal support.
This little known plugin reveals the answer. Accused criminals might have court-appointed attorneys defend them. While it is the right of all defendants to be provided with legal counsel, a majority of people do not qualify financially for access to court-appointed attorneys and are forced to hire private counsel.
As a result, most attorneys appointed by the court in the US are employed with the federal government. In Europe, a qualified defendant has legal rights to free legal counsel from a court-appointed attorney under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. While not every jurisdiction has a public defender's office, ...
Counties and municipalities are authorized to pass laws (ordinances), levy taxes, and provide public services within their jurisdictions.
A loan with an initial fixed interest rate that then becomes variable?
These plans vary. Many cover most, if not all, of the cost of legal consultations, document preparation, and court representation in routine legal matters. Other programs cover only advice and consultation with a lawyer.
Constitution guarantees you the right to be represented by a lawyer in any case in which you could be incarcerated for six months or more. State constitutions may guarantee your right to a lawyer for lesser crimes.
Employers or unions set up a fund to pay the employees’ legal fees, with the employee sometimes contributing a small co-payment. Legal group plans have become much more widespread in recent years. Some retail department stores and credit card companies even offer such plans to their customers.
Some legal aid offices have their own staff lawyers, and others operate with volunteer lawyers. Note that people do not have a right to a free lawyer in civil legal matters. I have been accused of a crime, and I cannot afford a lawyer.
The most obvious time to call your municipal attorney without delay is when you receive notice of a lawsuit or any formal dispute resolution process, such as arbitration or mediation. The clock begins ticking on the deadline to respond or take other action in defense of a lawsuit as soon as a summons and complaint is served.
Another time to contact your attorney is before you initiate legal action to enforce zoning or another ordinance. The zoning administrator or enforcement officer should first attempt to resolve ordinance violations by communicating with the property owner or occupant to achieve voluntary compliance. Involving your attorney should come ...
A municipal charter or policy may affect the representation, including who can authorize the expense. Most important, the attorney you call must be competent, communicate effectively, and have sufficient experience in municipal law, specifically planning and zoning .
As mentioned above, easements may be granted to a variety of different persons or agencies. For example, if you want to know the location of sewer lines or hidden power lines, the best way to find those public utility easements is to contact your local utility company.
Different states may recognize several different types of easements, depending on that state’s specific real property laws. In general, there are three different types of easements:
As mentioned above, an easement by necessity is an easement that is created by law to allow a person to have a right of access to their property. If your land is subject to an easement by necessity you cannot interfere with your neighbor’s use of the easement to access their home.
Once again, there are some easements in which you cannot seek compensation for, as they are easements that the law allows for without any compensation necessary. However, the amount of compensation for private easements are often negotiated in real estate contracts. When negotiating an easement it is important to do the following:
As can be seen, easements are fairly common when it comes to real property. As a landowner you have an absolute right to use your property as you see fit, which includes the right to grant other parties the use of your property. However, sometimes locating an easement on your property is difficult and may interfere with the usage of your property.
Typical sorts of cases that lawyers will take on a contingency fee include those involving: personal injuries. employment discrimination. sexual harassment. medical malpractice, and. other lawsuits in which there will likely be a substantial recovery.
Once you find an attorney willing to take a case on a contingency basis, ask questions. Not only is it essential to be confident in the lawyer's expertise, but it's also good practice to inquire about: how the lawyer will approach your case. a fee estimate. the likelihood of success, and. how much the lawyer expects you'll receive in damages.
Keep in mind that it isn't ethical for an attorney to change the fee agreement unilaterally (without your consent). Also, a client should be advised to seek counsel from an independent attorney before agreeing to any changes to be sure that the amendment is in the client's best interests.
Not all lawyers will take contingency cases because they require an attorney to do a significant amount of work without pay—at least for an extended period. Even if it's a winning case, some attorneys aren't financially set up to take on such matters.