§2810 Assistant United States Attorney Tribal Liaisons

Summary

Every U.S. Attorney for a district that includes Indian country must name at least one assistant U.S. Attorney to be a tribal liaison. That liaison coordinates federal cases in Indian country, builds teams to fight child abuse and domestic and sexual violence, works with tribal justice officials and victims’ advocates to reduce backlogs, keeps communication and shares appropriate information with tribes, coordinates when both a tribe and the federal government can prosecute the same crime, gives training and technical help on evidence and witness protection, runs training to certify special law enforcement commissions, works with the Office of Tribal Justice when needed, and does other work the U.S. Attorney thinks will help stop violent crime. The U.S. Attorney can set the liaison’s duties to meet local tribal needs. U.S. Attorneys may and are encouraged to appoint Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys to prosecute crimes in Indian country, especially when local crime or declination rates are above the national averages. They should coordinate with district courts about scheduling and holding cases in Indian country, give hired prosecutors proper training, supervision, and support, and help tribal governments and courts. Congress thinks U.S. Attorneys should consult affected tribal justice officials before making such appointments.