CRIMINAL DIVISION
The City Attorney's Office prosecutes all misdemeanor criminal offenses and infractions committed within the City of Los Angeles.
Criminal Division Operations
Los Angeles City Attorneys prosecute criminal cases through seven branch offices located throughout Los Angeles. The City Attorney's Office works closely with local law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, and California Highway Patrol, and numerous city, county, state, and federal regulatory agencies to effectively prosecute crimes occurring throughout Los Angeles.
Safe Neighborhoods Section
The Safe Neighborhoods Section advances the City Attorney's objective to improve public safety and the quality of life in our City's neighborhoods. Through the Neighborhood Prosecutor Program, the Citywide Nuisance Abatement Program, and the Dispute Resolution Program, City Attorneys partner with law enforcement and the community to proactively address crime problems and utilize a series of innovative crime prevention programs and comprehensive legal actions to create safer, stronger neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles.
Gang Section
The Gang Section targets identified gangs with a combination of civil injunctions, criminal prosecutions, and innovative intervention and prevention strategies.
Special Operations Section
The Special Operations Section is comprised of several highly specialized vertical units focused on crime prevention and prosecution within specific areas of the law. The AIDS/HIV Discrimination Unit advises City officials and departments on AIDS policy and law, and enforces the City of Los Angeles' AIDS discrimination ordinance. The Animal Protection Unit prosecutes crimes of animal abuse and neglect. The Consumer Protection Unit enforces consumer protection laws.
The Elder Crimes Unit addresses financial crimes and physical abuse committed against the elderly and dependent adults.The Environmental Protection Unit enforces all misdemeanor environmental protection ordinances, statutes and regulations within the City of Los Angeles. The Family Violence Unit handles the Office's most serious domestic violence cases. The Hate Crimes Unit prosecutes crimes against victims targeted because of their race, ethnic or national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or disability. The Housing Enforcement Unit prosecutes criminal violations of habitability codes and the City of Los Angeles's Rent Stabilization Ordinance. The Identity Theft and Fraud Unit employs a program of Prosecution, Prevention, Education, Legislation and Collaboration to combat Identity Theft and related frauds in the City of Los AngelesThe Public Integrity Unit uses both advice and criminal prosecution to ensure compliance with government ethics and campaign contribution laws.The Special Enforcement Unit prosecutes crimes involving sensitive or vulnerable victims.The Tobacco Enforcement Program enforces the City's tobacco control laws.
Criminal Appellate Section
The Criminal Appellate Section handles all appeals and extraordinary writs arising out of cases prosecuted by the Criminal, Special Operations and Safe Neighborhoods Sections of the Criminal Division. Appeals and writs are litigated in state and federal courts, including the Appellate Division of the Los Angeles Superior Court, the California Court of Appeal, the California Supreme Court, the United States District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Cases often present issues involving procedural and evidentiary errors, constitutional challenges and the interpretation of statutes and local ordinances. The Section also evaluates and files the People's appeals and writs to overturn dismissals and other orders adversely affecting prosecutions by the the City Attorney's Office. In addition, the Criminal Appeals Section produces in-house continuing education memoranda and lectures, and serves as a resource for other attorneys in the Criminal Division.
