Tejpal Singh was appointed
Assistant U.S. Attorney from the District of Columbia
July 11, 2003: DC
Tejpal Singh is the first Sikh attorney appointed by the Department
of Justice (DOJ). DOJ appointments are highly coveted and very
prestigious.
The U.S. Attorneys are a vehicle by which the United States acts
in court. They execute all the laws of the United States and prosecute
anyone who violates those laws. Cases taken up by the U.S. Attorneys
range from terrorism (terrorism against Americans abroad is prosecuted
in the U.S.) and espionage to fraud and cybercrimes.
The attorneys represent the U.S. government in court and they
bind the government when they prosecute federal law violations.
For example, when the government goes after terrorists or mobsters,
the U.S. Attorneys are the ones who prosecute them. Each state
has a U.S. Attorney. Larger states may have more than one. U.S.
Attorneys are normally appointed by the President and confirmed
by Congress. The U.S. Attorney of each district then appoints
Assistant U.S. Attorneys. Tejpal Singh was appointed by the U.S.
Attorney from D.C., Roscoe C. Howard. There are approximately
2,000 Assistant U.S. Attorneys across the country