The United States Attorneys serve as the nation's principal litigators, under the direction of the Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States and related territories. U.S. Attorneys are appointed by the President of the United States, with advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. One U.S. Attorney is assigned to each of the judicial district within the United States. Each U.S. Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer of the United States within his or her particular jurisdiction.
United States Attorney’s Offices conduct most of the trial work in which the United States is a party. The United States Attorneys have three primary statutory responsibilities under Section 507 of Title 28 of the United States Code:
- the prosecution of criminal cases brought by the federal government;
- the prosecution and defense of civil cases in which the United States is a party; and
- the collection of debts owed the federal government which are administratively uncollectible.
The Northern District of New York encompasses 32 counties in Northern and Central New York, covering an area of more than 30,000 square miles. It is home to approximately 3.4 million people. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in this District employs approximately 40 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and more than 40 support personnel who work in staffed offices in Syracuse, Albany, and Binghamton