
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[Laws in effect as of January 23, 2000]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 23, 2000 and December 4, 2001]
[CITE: 48USC1617]

 
              TITLE 48--TERRITORIES AND INSULAR POSSESSIONS
 
                       CHAPTER 12--VIRGIN ISLANDS
 
                      SUBCHAPTER V--JUDICIAL BRANCH
 
Sec. 1617. United States attorney; appointment; duties

    The President shall, by and with the advice and consent of the 
Senate, appoint a United States attorney for the Virgin Islands to whose 
office the provisions of chapter 35 of title 28, shall apply. Except as 
otherwise provided by law it shall be the duty of the United States 
attorney to prosecute all offenses against the United States and to 
conduct all legal proceedings, civil and criminal, to which the 
Government of the United States is a party in the district court and in 
the courts established by local law. He shall also prosecute in the 
district court in the name of the government of the Virgin Islands all 
offenses against the laws of the Virgin Islands which are cognizable by 
that court unless, at his request or with his consent, the prosecution 
of any such case is conducted by the attorney general of the Virgin 
Islands. The United States attorney may, when requested by the Governor 
or the attorney general of the Virgin Islands, conduct any other legal 
proceedings to which the government of the Virgin Islands is a party in 
the district court or the courts established by local law.

(July 22, 1954, ch. 558, Sec. 27, 68 Stat. 507; Pub. L. 85-851, Sec. 9, 
Aug. 28, 1958, 72 Stat. 1095; Pub. L. 86-289, Sec. 4, Sept. 16, 1959, 73 
Stat. 569; Pub. L. 92-24, June 2, 1971, 85 Stat. 76; Pub. L. 98-454, 
title VII, Sec. 708, Oct. 5, 1984, 98 Stat. 1741.)


                               Amendments

    1984--Pub. L. 98-454 substituted ``courts established by local law'' 
for ``inferior courts of the Virgin Islands'' wherever appearing and 
struck out provisions relating to vacancies in the office of United 
States attorney for the Virgin Islands.
    1971--Pub. L. 92-24 substituted ``chapter 35'' for ``chapter 31'' 
and struck out ``except that the Attorney General shall not appoint more 
than one assistant United States attorney for the Virgin Islands'' after 
``shall apply''.
    1959--Pub. L. 86-289 substituted provisions making chapter 31 of 
title 28 applicable to United States attorney and by provisions 
specifying his duties, for provisions which prescribed his term of 
office and provided for his compensation, provided for appointment and 
compensation of his assistant and employees, and provided that he or his 
assistant conduct all legal proceedings in which the United States 
Government or the government of the Virgin Islands is a party in the 
District Court and inferior courts.
    1958--Pub. L. 85-851 substituted ``United States attorney'' for 
``district attorney'' wherever appearing.


                    Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

    Amendment by Pub. L. 98-454 effective on ninetieth day following 
Oct. 5, 1984, see section 1005 of Pub. L. 98-454, set out as a note 
under section 1424 of this title.

                  Section Referred to in Other Sections

    This section is referred to in section 1494b of this title.
