Post by: Julianne Fleischer
Greetings from California! I have the privilege of
working with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of
California. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is the government’s prosecutorial branch
of the Department of Justice. I am working in the criminal division which
covers a large range of federal crimes, including human trafficking, drug
trafficking, and possession/distribution of child pornography.
Unfortunately, this area of California is a main hub
for these crimes. The Assistant U.S. Attorneys are working with many other
federal agencies by “working up” cases on these crimes. “Working up” a case
usually involves months or even years of ongoing investigation. Once agents
have gathered sufficient evidence, they may present it to our office where our
office then decides if we can get an arrest warrant, a search warrant, or even
an indictment.
As an intern, I have been working with several
Assistant U.S. Attorneys on a few different ongoing investigations related to
drug trafficking and possession/distribution of child pornography. Typically, I
go through the evidence we have on file and then draft a prosecution memoranda.
This document is then used to present to other attorneys in the office where
they will discuss whether there is enough evidence to bring formal charges
against a suspect.
It can be hard to believe that there are victims of
these heinous crimes within the borders of our country, but I am grateful for
the many agents and Assistant U.S. Attorneys who work daily to protect the
American people. I look forward to continuing to work on behalf of the American
people and fighting for justice on behalf of the victims of these crimes.
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