|
THE CRIMINAL BRANCH
MAKING LOS ANGELES
A SAFER CITY THROUGH CRIME PREVENTION
AND EFFECTIVE PROSECUTION OF CRIMINALS
The Los Angeles County Courthouse
|
The Office of the City Attorney
prosecutes all misdemeanor criminal offenses
and infractions committed within the City
of Los Angeles.
Criminal
Branch Operations
Los Angeles City Attorneys prosecute criminal
cases through seven Criminal Branches located
throughout Los Angeles. The Office of the
City Attorney works closely with local law
enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles
Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff's
Department, and California Highway Patrol,
and numerous city, county, state, and federal
regulatory agencies to effectively prosecute
crimes occurring throughout Los Angeles.
 |
The
Safe Neighborhoods Division
The Safe Neighborhoods Division advances
the Office of the City Attorney's objective
to improve public safety and preserve the
quality of life in our City's neighborhoods.
Through the Neighborhood Prosecutor Program , the Citywide Nuisance Abatement Program, and the Dispute Resolution Program, City Attorneys partner
with law enforcement and the community to
proactively address crime problems and utilize
a series of innovative crime prevention programs
and comprehensive legal actions to create
safer, stronger neighborhoods throughout
Los Angeles.
The
Special Operations Division
The Special Operations Division is comprised of 11 highly
specialized vertical units focused on crime prevention and
prosecution within specific areas of the law. The AIDS/HIV Discrimination
Unit advises City officials and departments
on AIDS policy and law, enforces the City
of Los Angeles' AIDS discrimination ordinance.
The Animal
Protection Unit prosecutes crimes of animal abuse
and neglect. The Consumer Protection Unit enforces and consumer
protection laws. The Elder Crimes Unit addresses financial crimes
and physical abuse committed against the
elderly and dependent adults.The Environmental Protection Unit enforces all misdemeanor
environmental protection ordinances, statutes
and regulations within the City of Los Angeles.The Gang
Unit targets identified gangs with a
combination of civil injunctions and criminal
prosecutions. The Hate Crimes Unit prosecutes crimes against
victims targeted because of their race, ethnic
or national origin, religion, sexual orientation,
gender, or disability. The Housing Enforcement Unit prosecutes criminal
violations of habitability codes and the
City of Los Angeles's Rent Stabilization
Ordinance. The Public Integrity Unit uses both advice and criminal
prosecution to ensure compliance with government
ethics and campaign contribution laws.The Special
Enforcement Unit prosecutes crimes involving
sensitive or vulnerable victims.The Tobacco Enforcement Program enforces the City's
tobacco control laws.
Criminal Appellate Division
The Criminal Appellate Division handles all appeals
and extraordinary writs arising out of cases prosecuted by the
Criminal, Special Operations and Safe Neighborhoods Divisions of
the Criminal Branch. Appeals and writs are litigated in state and
federal courts, including the Appellate Division of the Los Angeles
Superior Court, the California Court of Appeal, the California
Supreme Court, the United States District Court and the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals. Cases often present issues involving procedural
and evidentiary errors, constitutional challenges and the interpretation
of statutes and local ordinances. The Division also evaluates and
files People's appeals and writs to overturn dismissals and other
orders adversely affecting prosecutions by the Office of the City
Attorney. In addition, the Criminal Appeals Division produces in-house
continuing education memoranda and lectures, and serves as a resource
for other attorneys in the Criminal Branch.
<< return to top
|
