Superior Court

Richard Tischner, Chief
Teresa Howie , Deputy Chief

Unlike most other United States Attorney's Offices, ours is unique in that we are also responsible for the prosecution of most local (non-federal) crimes occurring within the District of Columbia. Prosecution of these crimes is handled primarily within the Superior Court Division of the Office. The mission of the Superior Court Division is to serve and protect all persons within the District by fairly, impartially, and aggressively enforcing the criminal laws of the United States and the District of Columbia while abiding by the highest ethical, professional, and legal standards possible; responding to the public safety needs of the community by leading an effective, well-trained, and well-coordinated law enforcement effort; identifying those conditions which adversely impact neighborhoods within the District and taking the appropriate steps to remedy those conditions; developing and fully participating in those programs, especially those dealing with the city's youth, designed to help in the prevention of violent conduct and drug related crime; and to work in an efficient and coordinated manner with the other Divisions and units of the United States Attorney's Office in order to ensure the mission and goals of the Office are being realized.

Throughout the Division, we have employed a problem-solving approach to our cases and investigations rather than simply processing them through the system. This is often referred to as community prosecution, a strategy which is being employed by more and more prosecutors around the country.

"Our mission in the Superior Court Division is to serve and protect all persons within the District of Columbia by fairly, impartially, and aggressively enforcing the criminal laws of the United States and the District. We respond to the public safety needs of the community by working with an effective and well-coordinated law enforcement effort and by identifying those conditions which adversely impact neighborhoods within the District and taking the appropriate steps to remedy those conditions."