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Office Overview
Administration Bureau
The Administration Bureau is responsible for providing administration
support to the legal bureaus in the Office of the Richmond County District
Attorney. This administration support comes in the form of secretaries,
para-legals, process servers, victim advocates and social workers. As
well as all of the support staff throughout the various bureaus, Central
Administration is comprised of the following units: Human Resources, Fiscal
Affairs, Facilities Management and Security, Procurement, Video and Photography,
Media and Community Relations, Grand Jury Stenographers, Truancy Centers
and Management Information Systems (MIS).
The Appeals Bureau is primarily responsible for handling legal challenges
to convictions (the result of a guilty plea or trial verdict). Every person
who is convicted of a crime has the right to appeal to a higher court.
There are other proceedings in our New York State courts and Federal courts
by which a disgruntled defendant can seek a new trial, a new appeal or
outright dismissal of the charges.
In addition to defending the soundness of convictions by preparing legal papers and presenting oral arguments to the judges who review such post-conviction matters, the Appeals Bureau provides brainstorming and legal research assistance when difficult questions arise during investigations and trials and oversees the special civil litigation to which the Office is a party.
Criminal Court is the point of entry for almost all prosecutions conducted
by the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office. Felonies, the
most serious level of crime, are screened in Criminal Court and directed
to the appropriate bureau or unit within the District Attorney’s
Office for eventual prosecution in Supreme Court. All misdemeanors and
violations are prosecuted directly in Criminal Court.
The Investigations Bureau is primarily responsible for reviewing, initiating
and prosecuting cases involving a wide range of offenses, including white
collar crimes, computer crimes, counterfeiting, arson, organized crime,
narcotics distribution, conspiracy, extortion, larcenies involving fraud
such as embezzlement, bribery, official corruption, vehicular homicide,
insurance fraud, identity theft, cold case homicides, deaths in police
custody, auto theft and consumer complaints. The Investigations Bureau
may also be assigned murder, robbery, burglary and assault cases.
The Investigations Bureau is comprised of two main units: Computer Crimes Unit and the Special Case Unit.
Sex Crimes/ Special Victims Bureau
The Sex Crimes/ Special Victims Bureau investigates and prosecutes sex
crimes, child abuse, domestic violence and crimes against seniors. Specially-trained
prosecutors are assisted by victim advocates who accompany victims to
court appearances, discuss safety issues and provide referrals for counseling.
The Bureau’s office space, which contains a children’s playroom/
interview room, is designed to provide pleasant surroundings and to maximize
privacy during interviews. Staff of the bureau are available to address
students, community groups and organizations on sex crimes, child abuse,
domestic violence and elder abuse issues.
The Supreme Court Bureau is responsible for the prosecution of felony
crimes such as homicide, burglary, robbery, controlled substance violations
and weapons offenses. Cases are presented to the Grand Jury and for those
that result in an indictment, these cases will be prosecuted in Supreme
Court. Those defendants indicted for a felony can either plead guilty
or the case will go to trial.