United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

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United States Department of Justice
Criminal Division
Seal of the United States Department of Justice.svg
Seal of the United States Department of Justice
Division overview
Formed1919 (1919)
Jurisdiction United States government agency
Headquarters Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C., United States
Division executives
  • TBD, Assistant Attorney General
  • Brent S. Wible, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General
Parent department U.S. Department of Justice
Website Official website

The United States Department of Justice Criminal Division is a federal agency of the United States Department of Justice that develops, enforces, and supervises the application of all federal criminal laws in the United States. Criminal Division attorneys prosecute many nationally significant cases and formulate and implement criminal enforcement policy. Division attorneys also provide advice and guidance to the Attorney General of the United States, the United States Congress, and the White House on matters of criminal law. The Division was founded in 1919. [1]

Contents

Leadership

The Criminal Division is headed by an Assistant Attorney General, appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate. [2] Kenneth Polite was appointed by President Joe Biden and sworn in as Assistant Attorney General on July 21, 2021. Nicholas McQuaid was appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General on January 20, 2021, and served as Acting Assistant Attorney General until Polite's confirmation. [3] Polite's tenure ended on July 28, 2023 after it was announced he would step down to enter the private sector. [4]

Organization

The Criminal Division is headed by an Assistant Attorney General, who is a political appointee. The Assistant Attorney General is assisted by six Deputy Assistant Attorneys General, which are mostly apprised of career attorneys (4/6), who each oversee two or more of the Criminal Division's 16 sections. [5]

Criminal Division organizational chart signed by AG Loretta Lynch (August 2016) US-dept-of-justice-criminal-division-org-chart.jpg
Criminal Division organizational chart signed by AG Loretta Lynch (August 2016)


The Criminal Division does not supervise the 94 U.S. Attorney's Offices, but rather works alongside the U.S. Attorney offices as subject matter experts. [6]

Reorganization

The Criminal Division's Counterterrorism and Counterespionage Sections were transferred to the newly created United States Department of Justice National Security Division in 2006. [1]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "History - Criminal Division". www.justice.gov. U.S. Department of Justice. July 25, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  2. 28 U.S.C.   § 506
  3. "Latham's Nicholas McQuaid Picked for Leading Role in Biden DOJ's Criminal Division". National Law Journal. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  4. "Top official in Justice Department's criminal division to depart". Associated Press. July 17, 2023.
  5. Loretta Lynch (August 29, 2016). "Organizational Chart | CRIMINAL Division | Department of Justice". www.justice.gov. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Remarks by Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski at the Criminal Division's 100th Anniversary Celebration". www.justice.gov. July 19, 2019. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  7. "Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS)". www.justice.gov. March 25, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2023.