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International Legal Assistance
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International legal assistance is the process of obtaining aid
from abroad
in connection with United States investigations and prosecutions,
or from the
United States in connection with foreign investigations and
prosecutions.
Because international legal assistance involves two or more
countries (and a
corresponding number of legal codes), the process generally is more
difficult
than domestic evidence gathering and may produce results that
differ from the
prosecutor's expectations. The Office of International Affairs
(OIA) in the
Criminal Division was established to help the prosecutor cope with
these
problems. OIA also oversees the execution of foreign requests for
international
legal assistance in the United States and advises prosecutors about
executing
such requests. See USAM 9-15.000
et seq. for
information concerning OIA's responsibilities in the area of
extradition.
[cited in USAM 9-13.500] | |