Prosecuting Attorneys in the United States

Attorneys representing the public are selected by executive appointment or by election. Most state attorneys general and virtually all local prosecuting attorneys are selected in partisan elections. Several states have the governor appoint the attorney general in much the same way the president appoints the U.S. attorney general. Federal prosecutors, known officially as U.S. attorneys, are also appointed by the president. These appointments are typically conducted on a partisan basis.

Notes and References

1. Definition of Prosecuting Attorneys from the American Law Dictionary, 1991, California