The Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey represents the United States in a broad array of defensive and affirmative civil lawsuits arising primarily in the United States District and Bankruptcy Courts for the District of New Jersey and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, as well as in New Jersey State courts. The Civil Division consists of the General Litigation, Affirmative Civil Enforcement ("ACE"), Financial Litigation ("FLU"), and Asset Forfeiture units.
The Civil Division is represented in each of the three offices of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. Currently, it is staffed as follows:
Newark - 18 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and 16 Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys;
Trenton - 3 Assistant U.S. Attorneys;
Camden - 2 Assistant U.S. Attorneys.
General Litigation
The majority of the Civil Division's Assistant U.S. Attorneys are assigned to the General Litigation team. This team principally defends the United States in employment discrimination and sexual harassment actions, along with vehicular, medical malpractice, and other personal injury matters brought under the Federal Tort Claims Act. General litigation Assistant U.S. Attorneys are also responsible for cases in a wide array of other disciplines, including the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, the Administrative Procedures Act, immigration, constitutional torts, Social Security, subpoena enforcement, constitutional law, prisoners' rights, civil rights, defense of government employees in criminal cases, condemnation, bankruptcy, and government contracts.
Affirmative Civil Enforcement ("ACE") Unit
The primary purposes of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement ("ACE") Unit are to prosecute civil actions to recover damages as a result of fraud and other misconduct against the United States and to seek civil penalties against those who violate the nation's health, safety, and economic welfare laws. The ACE Unit also pursues parallel proceedings in order to coordinate civil and criminal fraud investigations, including using prejudgment and preindictment remedies to freeze assets and seeking injunctions to prevent or put an end to unlawful activity.
The ACE Unit is comprised of three attorneys, a paralegal, and two investigators. In FY 2000 the ACE Unit alone recovered more than $118 million for the United States.
Financial Litigation Unit ("FLU")
The primary function of the FLU is to litigate and enforce the collection of criminal and civil debts owed to the United States, including criminal restitution, fines, civil settlements, judgments, and penalties.
The FLU is comprised of four Assistant U.S. Attorneys, one investigator, four paralegals, three legal assistants, and two clerks. In FY 2001, the FLU alone collected over $114 million in debts owed to the United States.
