NCJ Number
46474
Date Published
1978
Length
12 pages
Annotation
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL FROM 1789 AND THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FROM 1870 THROUGH 1936 IS PRESENTED, AND PRESENT PROBLEMS AND OBJECTIVES ARE TREATED.
Abstract
SOME OF THE PERSONALITIES IN THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL ARE MENTIONED, AND SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ARE NOTED. BASED UPON CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL PERCEIVES A RENEWED WILLINGNESS ON THE PART OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO TRUST THE INTEGRITY AND GOOD INTENTIONS OF THOSE IN RESPONSIBLE POSITIONS OF GOVERNMENT. HE SEES THIS AS BEING PREFERABLE TO THE POST-WATERGATE TENDENCY TOWARD SUSPICION AND MISTRUST THAT COULD HAVE LED TO A MCCARTHY-LIKE ATMOSPHERE FOR GOVERNMENT SERVICE. HE ARGUES FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, TOGETHER WITH THE CENTRALIZATION OF ALL FEDERAL LITIGATION IN ITS HANDS. THE GROWING TENDENCY OF SOME FEDERAL AGENCIES TO HAVE THEIR OWN LITIGATION DEPARTMENTS IS CRITICIZED AS SPAWNING A MULTIPLICITY OF VIEWS OF THE LAW THAT CAN ONLY LEAD TO CONFUSION AND AN EROSION OF TRUST IN THE FEDERAL LITIGATION SYSTEM. EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL JUSTICE ARE CITED, AND THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ROLE OF THE FEDERAL COURTS NOW AND IN THE FUTURE IS SEEN TO BE THE PROTECTION OF THE INDIVIDUAL CITIZEN AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE FROM THE GOVERNMENT. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATIVE ISSUES FACING THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ARE BELIEVED TO BE THE PROBLEMS OF UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS, THE COMPLETION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A PROGRAM TO REDUCE CRIME, THE COMPLETION OF THE REORGANIZATION OF LEAA, THE COMPLETION OF THE REORGANIZATION OF THE LITIGATING DIVISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, AND THE COMPLETION OF ORGANIZING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE OFFICE OF ATTORNEY GENERAL AND THE NATION'S 94 U.S. ATTORNEYS. (RCB)