The Criminal Section prosecutes cases involving the violent interference
with liberties and rights defined in the Constitution or federal law. The
rights of both citizens and non-citizens are protected. In general, it is the
use of force, threats, or intimidation that characterize a federal criminal
violation of an individual's civil rights.
Our cases often involve incidents
that are invariably of intense public interest. While some violations may most
appropriately be pursued by the federal Government, others can be addressed by
either the federal Government or by state or local prosecutors. Our ultimate
goal is to ensure that acts constituting federal criminal civil rights
violations are sufficiently remedied, whether prosecuted federally or by
local authorities.