District Attorney (often abbreviated as D.A.) is a legal title that can be held by persons of either sex. Each individual who holds this title has many legal rights and responsibilities, with both agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and detectives being answerable to them. During a trial, a District Attorney may act as adviser to a judge, regarding sentencing. A District Attorney may also have their own regional office.
A District Attorney's responsibilities may include the containment of paperwork filed by FBI agents at the conclusion of an FBI investigation, settling jurisdictional disputes between FBI and local law enforcement, questioning a Sheriff regarding suspected involvement in the death of a prisoner, building a case against a murderer and deciding the fate of apprehended killers. (TXF: "Pilot", et al.)
History[]
After FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully filed paperwork on Billy Miles following the agents' first case together in March 1992, Mulder talked to the District Attorney's office in Raymon County, Oregon, but found that there was no case file on Billy Miles and that the paperwork the agents had filed was gone, news that Mulder later relayed to Scully. (TXF: "Pilot")
In Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1993, after Detective Thomas Tomson cautioned Agent Mulder that investigation of the unexplained murder of Roger Crockett was currently under the sole jurisdiction of local law enforcement, the detective discovered that Mulder had been caught while sleeping rough in an alley in the city and consequently threatened that he would go straight to the District Attorney's office if he had to, citing Mulder's deed of obstructing the murder investigation and his misconduct. Confusing the detective, Mulder agreed that the idea of visiting the District Attorney was good and, referring to the D.A. as a "she", not only suggested that he and Detective Tomson visit her together but also advised that they add "withholding evidence" to the list of charges. Responding to the detective's puzzlement, Mulder explained that he was referring to statements the detective had been given that described something stalking the back streets of Atlantic City, perhaps implying the existence of the mythological Jersey Devil. (TXF: "The Jersey Devil")
In 1994, a male District Attorney attended healer Samuel Hartley's bail hearing, presided over by Judge Hamish Purdy and held at the Kenwood County Courthouse in Kenwood, Tennessee, after Samuel had claimed that murder accusations against him were true. Following a commotion in the courthouse due to Samuel arguing against his own defense attorney when she advised the judge that he be released without bail, the District Attorney spoke respectfully to Judge Purdy and stated, "Despite the defendant's avowed guilt, we see no reason to burden the county with his maintenance until trial. But we do request a minimum bail of $100,000." This request was immediately accepted by the judge but, moments later, the courthouse was again the scene of disorder when an influx of locusts panicked the attendees.
After Samuel Hartley was confined to Kenwood County Jail but was killed there by two men who were allowed access to his cell by a deputy, the District Attorney planned to question Sheriff Maurice Daniels about the recent death and this news was relayed to the sheriff by Deputy Dennis Tyson, when he went to the sheriff's home and asked Sheriff Daniels to accompany him. (TXF: "Miracle Man")
Later that year, autistic janitor Roland Grable was suspected of having committed several murders while under the influence of his deceased brother, Arthur Grable, and was taken from his home of Heritage Halfway House in Colson, Washington, by Mulder and Scully, as he was to be held in psychiatric custody for evaluation. Before leaving the halfway house, Mulder told Mrs. Stodie, a woman who had been caring for Roland there, that the District Attorney had not made the determination whether Roland was to be charged with a crime. (TXF: "Roland")
In 1995, evidence amassed that seemed to indicate that the recent death of Sheriff John Teller had been accidental, due to lightening that was not, as both Agents Mulder and Scully had come to believe, under the control of teenager Darren Peter Oswald. A District Attorney spoke to Scully, admitting to her that he had no idea how to begin building a case against Oswald, and Scully later relayed news of this conversation to Mulder. (TXF: "D.P.O.")
In 2008, Robert Koell worked as part of the District Attorney's Office in Richmond, Virginia. (The X-Files: I Want to Believe)
References[]
- TXF:
- "Pilot" (Season 1)
- "The Jersey Devil"
- "Miracle Man"
- "Roland"
- "D.P.O." (Season 3)
- "Mind's Eye" (Season 5)
- "Redrum" (Season 8)
- "Surekill"
- "DeadAlive"
- "Underneath" (Season 9)
- The X-Files: I Want to Believe
- MM: