In the United States, the federal government and some state governments divide their jurisdictions into districts. These governments appoint a district attorney to act as legal counsel in that jurisdiction. The district attorney must receive proper notification of any suits filed against the government and makes all legal decisions in that jurisdiction. In criminal proceedings, only the government may proceed. Therefor, all federal crimes are prosecuted by the district attorney in that jurisdiction. The district attorneys are supervised by the office of the Attorney General.
