Department of Justice

The Department of Justice is a Constitutionally mandated branch of the Executive Department. It is called for in the Preamble to our Constitution.

The mission of the Department of Justice is “To enforce the law and defend the interests of the United States according to the law; to ensure public safety against threats foreign and domestic; to provide federal leadership in preventing and controlling crime; to seek just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and to ensure fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans.” The department was officially formed on 1 July 1870, however, the Office of the Attorney General was established in 1789.

The above mission statement comes directly from the DoJ website, however, during my lifetime there have been a few Attorneys General who have chosen to ignore it.

The current Attorney General is Eric H. Holder, Jr. Mr. Holder had previously served as Acting Attorney General for 13 days in the G.W. Bush administration, Deputy Attorney General in the Clinton administration, US Attorney for the District of Columbia in the Clinton administration and had been appointed Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia by Ronald Regan. One of Mr. Holder’s predecessors, the 29th Attorney General, William Maxwell Evarts, was the father-in-law of my Second Cousin.

Unfortunately, it is my view that Mr. Holder is one of those briefly mentioned in the third paragraph of this article. The DoJ mission is “To ENFORCE the law and defend the interests of the United States ACCORDING to the law…” Mr. Holder took an oath, mandated by the Constitution to “…preserve, protect and defend the Constitution…” The Constitution says that we have the right to “…keep and bear arms…” Mr. Holder, however, stated on 25 Feb 09 that "Well, as President Obama indicated during the campaign, there are just a few gun-related changes that we would like to make, and among them would be to reinstitute the ban on the sale of assault weapons.” Which is, in fact, an assault on our rights under the Second Amendment. Even Speaker of the House Pelosi commented on Holder’s statement by stating “On that score, I think we need to enforce the laws we have right now. I think it's clear the Bush administration didn’t do that.”

I. Office of the Deputy Attorney General
a. Advises and assists the Attorney General in formulating and implementing Departmental policies and programs and in providing overall supervision and direction to all organizational units of the Department. The Deputy Attorney General is authorized to exercise all the power and authority of the Attorney General, except where such power or authority is prohibited by law from delegation or has been delegated to another official. In the absence of the Attorney General, the Deputy Attorney General acts as the Attorney General.
b. The Deputy A.G. is David W. Ogden
II. Criminal Division
a. Develops, enforces, and supervises the application of all federal criminal laws except those specifically assigned to other divisions. The Division and the 93 U.S. Attorneys have the responsibility for overseeing criminal matters under the more than 900 statutes as well as certain civil litigation. Criminal Division attorneys prosecute many nationally significant cases. In addition to its direct litigation responsibilities, the Division formulates and implements criminal enforcement policy and provides advice and assistance. For example, the Division approves or monitors sensitive areas of law enforcement such as participation in the Witness Security Program and the use of electronic surveillance; advises the Attorney General, Congress, the Office of Management Budget and the White House on matters of criminal law; provides legal advice and assistance to federal prosecutors and investigative agencies; and provides leadership for coordinating international as well as federal, state, and local law enforcement matters.
b. The Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division is Lanny A. Breuer.
III. Justice Management Division
a. Serves as the management arm of the Department of Justice, advising the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of various issues related to the operation of the Department. The Assistant Attorney General for Administration serves as the Department's Chief Financial Officer, and his four deputies serve as the Department's Controller, Chief Human Capital Officer, Chief Information Officer, and Senior Procurement Executive.
b. The Assistant Attorney General for Administration is Lee J. Lofthus.
IV. National Security Division
a. Created by the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act in March 2006, the Division merges the primary national security elements of the Department of Justice, fulfilling a key recommendation of the March 2005 report of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD Commission). The Division consists of the Counterterrorism and Counterespionage Sections; the Office of Intelligence, which consists of three sections (i.e., Operations Section, Oversight Section, and Litigation Section); a new Law and Policy Office; the Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism; and an Executive Office.
b. I believe this division is a waste of money and resources. All of its investigative functions should go to the Department of Homeland Security and the Central Intelligence Agency. It’s prosecutorial functions should go to DoJ’s Criminal Division.
c. The Assistant Attorney General for National Security is David S. Kris.
V. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
a. A principal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice dedicated to preventing terrorism, reducing violent crime, and protecting our Nation. The men and women of ATF perform the dual responsibilities of enforcing Federal criminal laws and regulating the firearms and explosives industries. We are committed to working directly, and through partnerships, to investigate and reduce crime involving firearms and explosives, acts of arson, and illegal trafficking of alcohol and tobacco products.
b. The ACTING Director of BATF is Kenneth E. Melson.
c. I hold a Federal Curio and Relics License issued by BATF and have never had any problems with them. However, many people that I know, or know of, have been the targets of ATF Agents for no reason that I can ascertain. The only government agency that is liked less than ATF is the IRS.
VI. Federal Bureau of Investigation
a. To protect and defend the United States against terrorist and foreign intelligence threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of the United States, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners.
b. The Director of the FBI is Robert S. Mueller, III. A former Platoon Leader in the 3rd MarDiv, Director Mueller holds the Bronze Star, 2 Navy Commendation Medals, the Purple Heart and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
VII. Federal Bureau of Prisons
a. Protects society by confining offenders in the controlled environments of prisons and community-based facilities that are safe, humane, cost-efficient, and appropriately secure, and that provide work and other self-improvement opportunities to assist offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens.
i. But does it work? They currently have more convicts in Federal prisons than there are employees in the Department of Justice (204K prisoners to 105K employees)!
b. The Director of the BoP is Harley Lappin. He has been Director for six years and is only the 7th Director in the BoPs 79 year history.
VIII. INTERPOL – US National Central Bureau
a. Serves as the United States’ representative to INTERPOL, the International Criminal Police Organization. The USNCB is the central point of contact for all INTERPOL matters in the United States, including secure communications with police authorities in INTERPOL’s 187 member countries and access to INTERPOL’s various databases containing information on wanted persons, terrorists, missing persons, stolen and lost passports and travel documents, stolen vehicles, and other law enforcement information. On a daily basis, the USNCB coordinates and transmits requests for criminal investigative and humanitarian assistance between American federal, state and local law enforcement authorities and their foreign counterparts.
b. The Director of USNCB is Supervisory Special Agent Martin Renkiewicz, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security.
IX. Drug Enforcement Administration
a. Enforce the controlled substances laws and regulations of the United States and bring to the criminal and civil justice system of the United States, or any other competent jurisdiction, those organizations and principal members of organizations, involved in the growing, manufacture, or distribution of controlled substances appearing in or destined for illicit traffic in the United States; and to recommend and support non-enforcement programs aimed at reducing the availability of illicit controlled substances on the domestic and international markets.
b. The ACTING Administrator of DEA is Michele Leonhart. Ms. Leonhart is a former member of the Baltimore PD and has been a DEA Special Agent for 29 years.
c. Diversion Control Program
i. Responsible for two distinct problems: the diversion of controlled pharmaceuticals and the diversion of controlled chemicals.
ii. The Deputy Assistant Administrator is Joseph T. Rannazzisi.
X. Office of the Solicitor General
a. The Solicitor General is tasked to conduct all litigation on behalf of the United States in the Supreme Court, and to supervise the handling of litigation in the federal appellate courts.
b. The Solicitor General is Elena Kagan. Ms. Kagan and President Obama were on the faculty of the University of Chicago Law School together.
XI. Office of the Associate Attorney General
a. Advises and assists the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General in formulating and implementing Departmental policies and programs pertaining to a broad range of civil justice, federal and local law enforcement, and public safety matters.
i. Why does the Attorney General need an attorney to give him advise? Isn’t he knowledgeable in the law?
b. The Associate Attorney General is Thomas J. Perrelli.
c. Anti-trust Division
i. The mission of the Antitrust Division has been to promote and protect the competitive process — and the American economy — through the enforcement of the antitrust laws. The antitrust laws apply to virtually all industries and to every level of business, including manufacturing, transportation, distribution, and marketing. They prohibit a variety of practices that restrain trade, such as price-fixing conspiracies, corporate mergers likely to reduce the competitive vigor of particular markets, and predatory acts designed to achieve or maintain monopoly power.
ii. The Assistant Attorney General for Anti-Trust is Christine Varney
d. Community Oriented Policing Services
i. Awards grants to tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to hire and train community policing professionals, acquire and deploy cutting-edge crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test innovative policing strategies. COPS Office funding provides training and technical assistance to advance community policing at all levels of law enforcement, from line officers to law enforcement executives, as well as others in the criminal justice field. Because community policing is inclusive, COPS Office training also reaches state and local government leaders and the citizens they serve.
ii. The Director of COPS is Carl R. Peed.
e. Community Relations Service
i. Created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, CRS is the only Federal agency dedicated to assist State and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony.
1. It would appear to be a little redundant with the Civil Rights Division.
ii. The Director of CRS is Ondray T. Harris.
f. Office of Dispute Resolution
i. Promote and facilitate the broad and effective use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes by the Department of Justice and throughout the Executive Branch of the federal government. The office is responsible for promoting and evaluating the use of ADR at the Department, representing the Department leadership with foreign governments and the private sector, and facilitating the effective use of ADR in litigation and other agency disputes.
ii. The ACTING Director of ODR is Joanna Jacobs.
g. Office on Violence Against Women
i. To provide federal leadership to reduce violence against women, and to administer justice for and strengthen services to all victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. This is accomplished by developing and supporting the capacity of state, local, tribal, and non-profit entities involved in responding to violence against women.
1. What about violence against men? We may be victims too. Let’s see the minorities, the children, and the ladies all have someone at DoJ looking out for them. The average male WASP is SOL!
ii. The ACTING Director of OVW is Catherine Pierce.
h. Office of Information Policy
i. Responsible for encouraging agency compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
1. I’m really glad to see that someone is ENCOURAGING compliance with the FOIA. But since the FOIA is Federal law, shouldn’t DoJ be REQUIRING compliance?
ii. The Director of OIP is Melanie Ann Pustay.
i. Executive Office for US Trustees
i. Seeks to promote the efficiency and protect the integrity of the bankruptcy system. To further the public interest in the just, speedy and economical resolution of cases filed under the Bankruptcy Code, the Program monitors the conduct of bankruptcy parties and private estate trustees, oversees related administrative functions, and acts to ensure compliance with applicable laws and procedures. It also identifies and helps investigate bankruptcy fraud and abuse in coordination with US Attorneys, the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies.
ii. The Director of EOUST is Clifford J. White, III.
j. Foreign Claims Settlement Commission of the United States
i. A quasi-judicial, independent agency within the Department of Justice which adjudicates claims of U.S. nationals against foreign governments, under specific jurisdiction conferred by Congress, pursuant to international claims settlement agreements, or at the request of the Secretary of State. Funds for payment of the Commission's awards are derived from congressional appropriations, international claims settlements, or liquidation of foreign assets in the United States by the Departments of Justice and the Treasury.
ii. The Chairman of the Commission is Mauricio J. Tamargo. His term of office expires in September.
k. Civil Rights Division
i. Prosecutes violations of criminal civil rights statutes and enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, disability, religion, and national origin. In addition, the Civil Rights Division prosecutes hates crimes and color of law offenses. The Division also coordinates civil rights enforcement efforts of federal agencies whose programs are covered by various civil rights laws, and it assists federal agencies in identifying and removing discriminatory provisions in their policies and programs.
ii. The ACTING Assistant Attorney General, Civil Rights Division is Loretta King.
l. Civil Division
i. The Civil Division represents the United States, its departments and agencies, Members of Congress, Cabinet officers and other Federal employees. Its litigation reflects the diversity of government activities, involving, for example, the defense of challenges to Presidential actions; national security issues; benefit programs; energy policies; commercial issues such as contract disputes, banking insurance, patents, fraud, and debt collection; all manner of accident and liability claims; enforcement of immigration laws; and civil and criminal violations of consumer protection laws. Each year, Division attorneys handle thousands of cases that collectively involve billions of dollars in claims and recoveries. The Division confronts significant policy issues, which often rise to constitutional dimensions, in defending and enforcing various Federal programs and actions.
ii. The Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division is Tony West.
m. Environmental and Natural Resources Division
i. Oversees environmental litigation arising under more than 150 federal statutes, such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, CERCLA (Superfund), the Endangered Species Act, NEPA, and others. The Environment Division’s work includes affirmative civil suits to stop polluters and recover clean-up costs, prosecution of environmental and wildlife crimes, defense of federal agencies and their programs, including management of federal lands and other natural resources, defense of federal environmental regulations, litigation relating to tribes and Indian lands, and condemnation of land for congressionally authorized public use.
ii. The ACTING Assistant Attorney General, Environmental and Natural Resources Division is John C. Cruden, a West Point graduate and former member of the Army’s JAG Corps.
n. Tax Division
i. The Tax Division represents the United States and its officers in most civil and criminal litigation that concerns or relates to the internal revenue laws. Tax Division attorneys seek to secure correct, uniform and fair interpretations of the internal revenue laws in federal district and appellate courts and to ensure that uniform standards are applied in criminal tax prosecutions.
ii. The ACTING Assistant Attorney General, Tax Division is John DeCicco.
o. Office of Justice Programs
i. Provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of-the art knowledge and practices across America, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can be effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter into partnerships with these officers. Therefore, OJP does not directly carry out law enforcement and justice activities. Instead, OJP works in partnership with the justice community to identify the most pressing crime-related challenges confronting the justice system and to provide information, training, coordination, and innovative strategies and approaches for addressing these challenges.
ii. The ACTING Assistant Attorney General/Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Justice Programs is Laurie O. Robinson.
iii. Bureau of Justice Assistance
1. Supports law enforcement, courts, corrections, treatment, victim services, technology, and prevention initiatives that strengthen the nation’s criminal justice system.
2. The ACTING Director of BJA is James H. Burch, II.
iv. Bureau of Justice Statistics
1. To collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government. These data are critical to Federal, State, and local policymakers in combating crime and ensuring that justice is both efficient and evenhanded.
2. The ACTING Director of BJS is Michael D. Sinclair.
v. National Institute of Justice
1. The research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and is dedicated to researching crime control and justice issues. NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the state and local levels.
2. The ACTING Director of NIJ is Kristina Rose.
vi. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Protection
1. Provides national leadership, coordination, and resources to prevent and respond to juvenile delinquency and victimization. OJJDP supports states and communities in their efforts to develop and implement effective and coordinated prevention and intervention programs and to improve the juvenile justice system so that it protects public safety, holds offenders accountable, and provides treatment and rehabilitative services tailored to the needs of juveniles and their families.
2. The ACTING Administrator of OJJDP is Jeff Slowikowski.
vii. Office for Victims of Crime
1. To enhance the Nation’s capacity to assist crime victims and to provide leadership in changing attitudes, policies, and practices to promote justice and healing for all victims.
2. The ACTING Director of OVC is Joyce E. Frost. I want to apologize to Ms. Frost in advance, but she bears a striking resemblance to Penny Marshall in her role of Laverne Difasio on “Laverne & Shirley”.
viii. Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking
1. Protect the public by supporting the national implementation of a comprehensive sex offender registration and notification system.
2. The ACTING Director is Dawn Doran. Ms. Doran and I are not related.
ix. Community Capacity Development Office
1. Promote comprehensive strategies to reduce crime and revitalize communities. CCDO helps communities help themselves, enabling them to reduce violent and drug crime, strengthen community capacity to increase the quality of life, and promote long-term community health and resilience.
2. The Director of CCDO is Dennis E. Greenhouse.
x. National Criminal Justice Reference Service
1. A federally funded resource offering justice and substance abuse information to support research, policy, and program development worldwide.
2. Director is unknown at this time.
XII. Office of the Chief Information Officer
a. Provide information technology leadership that advances the Department of Justice's mission, improves management effectiveness, and delivers superior results to the Department's employees and U.S. citizens.
b. The Chief Information Officer is Vance Hitch. Mr. Hitch is a former Naval Officer.
XIII. Office of the Federal Detention Trustee
a. Manages and regulates the federal detention programs and the Justice Prisoner and Alien Transportation System (JPATS) by establishing a secure and effective operating environment that drives efficient and fair expenditure of appropriated funds.
b. The Trustee is Stacia A. Hylton. Ms. Hylton is career United States Marshal.
XIV. Office of the Inspector General
a. Conducts independent investigations, audits, inspections, and special reviews of United States Department of Justice personnel and programs to detect and deter waste, fraud, abuse, and misconduct, and to promote integrity, economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in Department of Justice operations.
i. The functions of the IG should be transferred to the GAO.
b. The Inspector General is Glen A. Fine.
XV. Office of Intergovernmental and Public Liaison
a. Serves as the coordinating center of all Department activities related to state and local government and law enforcement officials, and outside organizations. OIPL also ensures that the state and local perspective is taken into account as DOJ policies and programs are discussed and implemented.
b. The Office Manager is Wanda Overstreet.
XVI. Office of Legal Counsel
a. Provides authoritative legal advice to the President and all the Executive Branch agencies. The Office drafts legal opinions of the Attorney General and also provides its own written opinions and oral advice in response to requests from the Counsel to the President, the various agencies of the Executive Branch, and offices within the Department. Such requests typically deal with legal issues of particular complexity and importance or about which two or more agencies are in disagreement. The Office also is responsible for providing legal advice to the Executive Branch on all constitutional questions and reviewing pending legislation for constitutionality.
i. The AG has an Associate AG to advise him, a Solicitor General to represent the US in court and a Legal Counsel to advise the President. Then why must the AG be an attorney?
b. The ACTING Assistant Attorney General for Legal Counsel is David J. Barron.
XVII. Office of Legal Policy
a. Responsible for developing and implementing the Department's significant policy initiatives. OLP often handles special projects that implicate the interests of multiple Department components. In this role, OLP coordinates with all other interested Department components and with other Executive Branch agencies. The Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Policy serves as the primary policy advisor to the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General.
b. The Assistant Attorney General for Legal Policy is Elisebeth Collins Cook.
XVIII. Office of Legislative Affairs
a. Responsible for the development and implementation of strategies to advance the Department's legislative initiatives and other interests relating to Congress. OLA also articulates the Department's position on legislation proposed by Congress, facilitates the appearance of Department witnesses at congressional hearings, and manages the interagency clearance process led by OMB. Additionally, OLA coordinates the Department's responses to congressional committee oversight requests and other inquiries from individual Members and congressional staff. OLA also participates in the Senate confirmation process for federal judges and Department nominees, such as Assistant Attorneys General and United States Attorneys.
b. The Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs is Ronald Weich.
XIX. Office of the Pardon Attorney
a. In consultation with the Attorney General or his designee, assists the President in the exercise of executive clemency as authorized under Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution. Under the Constitution, the President's clemency power extends only to federal criminal offenses. All requests for executive clemency for federal offenses are directed to the Pardon Attorney for investigation and review. The Pardon Attorney prepares the Department's recommendation to the President for final disposition of each application. Executive clemency may take several forms, including pardon, commutation of sentence, remission of fine or restitution, and reprieve.
b. The Pardon Attorney is Ronald L. Rodgers.
XX. Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties
a. Principle mission of OPCL is to protect the privacy and civil liberties of the American people by reviewing and overseeing the Department’s privacy operations and ensuring its privacy compliance, including compliance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and the E-Government Act of 2002; assisting the CPCLO in developing Departmental privacy policy and refining Department policies relating to the protection of civil liberties of individuals specifically in the context of the Department’s counterterrorism and law enforcement efforts; representing the Department with respect to international privacy policy issues; overseeing privacy-related reporting to the President and Congress; and coordinating the work of the Department relating to the protection of privacy and civil liberties.
b. The Director of OCPL is Kirsten J. Moncada.
XXI. Office of Professional Responsibility
a. The Office of Professional Responsibility, which reports directly to the Attorney General, is responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct involving Department attorneys that relate to the exercise of their authority to investigate, litigate or provide legal advice, as well as allegations of misconduct by law enforcement personnel when they are related to allegations of attorney misconduct within the jurisdiction of OPR.
b. The ACTING Counselor for Professional Responsibility is Mary Patrice Brown.
XXII. Office of Public Affairs
a. Responsible for ensuring that the public and press are informed about the Department's activities and about the priorities and policies of the Attorney General and the President with regard to law enforcement and legal affairs.
b. The Director of Public Affairs is Matthew Miller.
XXIII. Office of Tribal Justice
a. Primary point of contact for the Department of Justice with federally recognized Native American tribes, and advises the Department on legal and policy matters pertaining to Native Americans.
i. I have a big problem with the PC term “Native American”. Although there is not one drop of Indian blood in my veins (but there is in my children’s veins), I am a Native American. Not an Irish-American, but a Native American – I was born here!
b. The Director is Tracy Toulou.
XXIV. Asset Forfeiture Program
a. Employ asset forfeiture powers in a manner that enhances public safety and security. This is accomplished by removing the proceeds of crime and other assets relied upon by criminals and their associates to perpetuate their criminal activity against our society. Asset forfeiture has the power to disrupt or dismantle criminal organizations that would continue to function if we only convicted and incarcerated specific individuals.
b. Director is unknown at this time.
XXV. Executive Office for Immigration Review
a. The EOIR was created on January 9, 1983, through an internal DoJ reorganization which combined the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) with the Immigration Judge function previously performed by the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (now part of the Department of Homeland Security). Besides establishing EOIR as a separate agency within DOJ, this reorganization made the Immigration Courts independent of INS, the agency charged with enforcement of Federal immigration laws. The Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer (OCAHO) was added in 1987.
b. The ACTING Director is Thomas J. Snow.
XXVI. Executive Office for US Attorneys
a. Provide general executive assistance and supervision to the offices of the U.S. Attorneys, including:
i. Evaluating the performance of the offices of the U.S. Attorneys, making appropriate reports and inspections and taking corrective action where indicated.
ii. Coordinating and directing the relationship of the offices of the U.S. Attorneys with other organizational units of the Department of Justice.
iii. Publish and maintain a U.S. Attorneys' Manual and a United States Attorneys' Bulletin for the internal guidance of the U.S. Attorneys' offices and those other organizational units of the Department concerned with litigation.
iv. Supervise the operation of the Office of Legal Education, the Attorney General's Advocacy Institute and the Legal Education Institute, which shall develop, conduct and authorize the training of all Federal legal personnel.
v. Provide the Attorney General's Advisory Committee of United States Attorneys with such staff assistance and funds as are reasonably necessary to carry out the Committee's responsibilities (28 CFR 0.10(d) ).
vi. Establish policy and procedures for the satisfaction, collection, or recovery of criminal fines, special assessments, penalties, interest, bail bond forfeitures, restitution, and court costs in criminal cases consistent with § 0.171 of this chapter.
b. The Director of EOUSA is H. Marshall Jarrett.
XXVII. National Drug Intelligence Center
a. Provide strategic drug-related intelligence, document and computer exploitation support, and training assistance to the drug control, public health, law enforcement, and intelligence communities of the United States in order to reduce the adverse effects of drug trafficking, drug abuse, and other drug-related criminal activity.
i. Located in Johnstown, PA.
b. The Director of NDIC is Michael F. Walther.
XXVIII. National Institute of Corrections
a. A center of learning, innovation and leadership that shapes and advances effective correctional practice and public policy.
b. The Director is Morris L. Thigpen. Mr. Thigpen has a convoluted chain of command. He reports directly to the AG, but he must keep the Director, Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Chairman, NIC Advisory Board in the loop.
XXIX. Professional Responsibility Advisory Office
a. Ensure prompt, consistent advice to Department attorneys and Assistant United States Attorneys with respect to professional responsibility and choice-of-law issues. Complaints concerning the actions of individual Department attorneys and Assistant United States Attorneys are not processed and/or handled by the PRAO but should be referred to the Office of Professional Responsibility
b. The Director is Jeri U. Dunston.
XXX. US Attorneys
a. The United States Attorneys serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. There are 93 United States Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands. United States Attorneys are appointed by, and serve at the discretion of, the President of the United States, with advice and consent of the United States Senate. One United States Attorney is assigned to each of the judicial districts, with the exception of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands where a single United States Attorney serves in both districts. Each United States Attorney is the chief federal law enforcement officer of the United States within his or her particular jurisdiction.
b. United States Attorneys conduct most of the trial work in which the United States is a party. The United States Attorneys have three statutory responsibilities under Title 28, Section 547 of the United States Code:
i. the prosecution of criminal cases brought by the Federal government;
ii. the prosecution and defense of civil cases in which the United States is a party; and
iii. the collection of debts owed the Federal government which are administratively uncollectible.
c. Although the distribution of caseload varies between districts, each has every category of cases and handles a mixture of simple and complex litigation. Each United States Attorney exercises wide discretion in the use of his/her resources to further the priorities of the local jurisdictions and needs of their communities.
XXXI. US Marshals Service
a. The U.S. Marshals Service is the nation’s oldest and most versatile federal law enforcement agency. Federal Marshals have served the country since 1789, oftentimes in unseen but critical ways. To this day, the Marshals occupy a uniquely central position in the federal justice system. It is the enforcement arm of the federal courts, and as such, it is involved in virtually every federal law enforcement initiative. Presidentially appointed U.S. Marshals direct the activities of 94 districts — one for each federal judicial district. More than 3,320 Deputy U.S. Marshals and Criminal Investigators form the backbone of the agency. Among their many duties, they apprehend more than half of all federal fugitives, protect the federal judiciary, operate the Witness Security Program, transport federal prisoners and seize property acquired by criminals through illegal activities.
b. The Director of USMS is John F. Clark.
XXXII. US Parole Commission
a. To promote public safety and strive for justice and fairness in the exercise of its authority to release and supervise offenders under its jurisdiction.
b. The Chairman of the Commission is Isaac Fulwood, Jr.

The Department of Justice is very necessary to our way of live. However, like other Federal bureaucracies it has become bloated and self indulgent over time. It is GUNNER’S VIEW that this department can be scaled back in a number of areas. I won’t tell you which ones. If you’re interested go the department’s web site and review it yourself.

One flaw in the ointment appears to be the United States Senate. There are way to many ACTING management folks. They've been appointed, now the Senate needs to get off its duff and confirm them.

God Bless the Agents of the DEA and the FBI, the Corrections Officers of the FBP, and the Marshals and Deputy Marshalls of the USMS.
Gunner Sends