The Felony Major Crimes Section is a vertical trial section. The section is divided into six units, which parallel the Metropolitan Police Department’s seven police districts, with the exception of the second and third districts which have been combined. The duties and responsibilities of prosecutors assigned to the various districts vary based on experience and uniqueness of the respective police districts. The complexity of the cases assigned to FMC prosecutors will increase commensurate with the prosecutor’s progress in the section. In order to accomplish this goal, prosecutors will typically serve in three different phases during their tenure in the section. During Phase One, prosecutors learn to investigate cases and utilize the grand jury. Prosecutors will then move to Phase Two where they are assigned more difficult cases and continue to develop their investigative and litigation skills. Finally, after demonstrating sustained proficiency in investigating and trying case, prosecutors become eligible to move to Phase Three, where they will be assigned the most serious cases in the section.