Richard Tischner, Chief

The Grand Jury Section is responsible for investigating and indicting the majority of arrest-generated felony cases which are prosecuted in Superior Court. These cases are then tried by prosecutors in the Felony Trial Section. The cases include, among other things, weapons, drug, dangerous, and violent offenses. The Grand Jury Section also reviews and approves warrant affidavits charging both felony and misdemeanor offenses, and responds to inquiries from members of the community and various law enforcement agencies regarding the charging and prosecution of cases.

The prosecutors assigned to the Grand Jury Section are divided into seven geographic districts which correspond to the seven Metropolitan Police Department districts, and are assigned cases based on those districts. Three senior prosecutors in the section are assigned cases in specialized areas, such as economic crimes, theft and unauthorized use of motor vehicles, and computer crimes. The section works closely with the Community Prosecution/Intake Section in the daily charging of arrested individuals.

The Community Prosecution/Intake Section is charged with implementing the Office's community prosecution program. This Section is committed to “Smarter Prosecution”and strives to improve the quality of life for all District of Columbia residents by facilitating good working relationships between citizens, law enforcement, city agencies and prosecutors. Ten (10) senior Community Prosecutors are assigned to work in the seven Metropolitan Police Department districts. These Community Prosecutors rotate weekly between the Intake Office and the District Office. At Intake, the Community Prosecutor reviews all MPD adult arrests made in the District to which he or she is assigned, deciding the appropriate charge and bond for each defendant. At the District, the Community Prosecutor works closely with the Commander, provides training at roll call to PSA officers, offers advice to District detectives and Focus Mission Team officers regarding open investigations, and attends community meetings. The Community Prosecutor serves as a liaison between the United States Attorney’s Office and the community to identify and address community problems, which often include quality of life issues and nuisance properties. The Community Prosecutor also coordinates the sharing of information and intelligence gathered with other sections in the Office.