United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York

The United States attorney for the Southern District of New York is the chief federal law enforcement officer in eight contiguous New York counties: the counties (coextensive boroughs of New York City) of New York (Manhattan) and Bronx, and the counties of Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Dutchess, and Sullivan. Established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, the office represents the United States government in criminal and civil cases across the country. The SDNY handles a broad array of cases, including but not limited to those involving white collar crime, domestic terrorism, cybercrime, public corruption, organized crime, and civil rights disputes.

U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
Department overview
FormedSeptember 24, 1789 (1789-09-24) by the Judiciary Act of 1789
JurisdictionSouthern District of New York
HeadquartersManhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
Department executive
Parent DepartmentUnited States Department of Justice
Websitejustice.gov/usao-sdny
Map
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Southern District of New York

The Southern District has earned itself the moniker the "Sovereign District of New York".[1][2] Its resources, culture, and accompanying FBI field office have given the SDNY a reputation for being exceptionally aggressive in its pursuit of criminals.[3][4] Due to its jurisdiction over the New York City borough of Manhattan, the preeminent financial center of the United States of America, the office's incumbent is often nicknamed the "Sheriff of Wall Street".[5]

As of October 10, 2021, the United States attorney is Damian Williams.[6]

Organization

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The office is organized into two divisions handling civil and criminal matters. The Southern District of New York also has two offices: in Manhattan and White Plains. The office employs approximately 220 assistant U.S. attorneys.[7]

List of U.S. attorneys

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In 1814, the District of New York was divided into the Northern and the Southern District.[8]

Term U.S. Attorney Party Appointed by
1 April 1815

July 1819
  Jonathan Fisk Democratic-Republican James Madison
2 July 1819

February 1828
  Robert L. Tillotson Democratic-Republican James Monroe
3 February 1828

April 1829

  John Duer Democratic-Republican John Quincy Adams
4 April 1829

April 1834

  James A. Hamilton Democratic Andrew Jackson
5 April 1834

December 10, 1838

  William M. Price Democratic
6 December 1838

March 1841

  Benjamin F. Butler Democratic Martin Van Buren
7 March 1841

March 1845

  Ogden Hoffman Whig William Henry Harrison
8 March 1845

September 1848

  Benjamin F. Butler Democratic James Polk
9 September 1848

December 1848

  Charles McVean Democratic
10 January 1849

April 1849
  Lorenzo B. Shepard Democratic
11 April 1849

March 1853
  Jonathan Prescott Hall Whig Zachary Taylor
12 April 1853

June 1854
  Charles O'Conor Democratic Franklin Pierce
13 July 1854

January 1858
  John McKeon Democratic
14 January 1858

December 1859
  Theodore Sedgwick Democratic James Buchanan
15 December 1859

March 1861
  James I. Roosevelt Democratic
16 April 1861

April 1865
  Edward Delafield Smith Republican Abraham Lincoln
17 April 1865

April 12, 1866
  Daniel S. Dickinson Democratic
18 April 1866

April 25, 1869
Samuel G. Courtney Democratic Andrew Johnson
19 April 25, 1869

July 20, 1870
  Edwards Pierrepont Republican Ulysses S. Grant
20 July 20, 1870

December 31, 1872
  Noah Davis Republican
21 December 31, 1872

January 24, 1877
  George Bliss Jr. Republican
22 January 24, 1877

March 12, 1883
  Stewart L. Woodford Republican
23 March 12, 1883

July 6, 1885
  Elihu Root Republican Chester A. Arthur
24 July 6, 1885

March 1, 1886
  William Dorsheimer Democratic Grover Cleveland
25 March 1, 1886

September 16, 1889
  Stephen A. Walker Democratic
26 September 16, 1889

February 1, 1894
  Edward Mitchell Republican Benjamin Harrison
February 1, 1894

July 23, 1894
  Henry C. Platt[a] Democratic Grover Cleveland
27 July 23, 1894

January 1898
Wallace Macfarlane Democratic
28 January 1898

January 1906
  Henry Lawrence Burnett Republican William McKinley
29 January 1906

April 8, 1909
  Henry L. Stimson Republican Theodore Roosevelt
30 April 8, 1909

May 7, 1913
  Henry A. Wise Republican William Howard Taft
31 May 7, 1913

April 1917
  Hudson Snowden Marshall Democratic Woodrow Wilson
32 April 1917

June 1921
  Francis Gordon Caffey Democratic
33 June 1921

March 2, 1925
  William Hayward Republican Warren Harding
34 March 2, 1925

April 6, 1927
  Emory Buckner Republican Calvin Coolidge
35 April 6, 1927

September 29, 1930
  Charles H. Tuttle Republican
September 29, 1930

January 1931
Robert E. Manley[b] Republican Herbert Hoover
36 January 1931

November 21, 1933
George Z. Medalie Republican
November 22, 1933

December 26, 1933
  Thomas E. Dewey[c] Republican Franklin D. Roosevelt
37 December 26, 1933

May 16, 1935
  Martin Thomas Conboy Jr. Democratic
May 16, 1935

November 20, 1935
Francis W. H. Adams[d] Democratic
38 November 20, 1935

December 1938
Lamar Hardy Democratic
December 1938

March 1939
Gregory Francis Noonan[e] Democratic
39 March 1939

March 1941
John T. Cahill Democratic
40 March 1941[f]

June 10, 1943
Mathias F. Correa Democratic
June 10, 1943

August 2, 1943
Howard F. Corcoran[g] Democratic
41 August 2, 1943

October 9, 1944
James B. M. McNally Democratic
42 October 9, 1944[h]

October 1949
John F. X. McGohey Democratic
43 October 1949[i]

September 18, 1951

  Irving Saypol Democratic Harry S. Truman
44 September 18, 1951

April 1, 1953
Myles J. Lane Democratic
45 April 1, 1953

July 11, 1955
J. Edward Lumbard Republican[9] Dwight D. Eisenhower
July 11, 1955

September 1, 1955
Lloyd F. MacMahon[j] Republican
46 September 1, 1955

July 9, 1958
Paul W. Williams Republican
July 9, 1958

1959
Arthur H. Christy[k] Republican
47 1959

January 31, 1961
Samuel Hazard Gillespie Jr. Republican
January 31, 1961

April 18, 1961
Morton S. Robson[l] Republican John F. Kennedy
48[m] April 18, 1961

January 16, 1970
  Robert Morgenthau Democratic
49 January 16, 1970

June 4, 1973
Whitney North Seymour Jr. Republican Richard Nixon
50 June 4, 1973

October 31, 1975
Paul J. Curran Republican
October 31, 1975

March 1, 1976
Thomas J. Cahill[n] Republican Gerald Ford
51 March 1, 1976

March 2, 1980
Robert B. Fiske Republican
March 3, 1980

May 21, 1980
William M. Tendy[o] Republican Jimmy Carter
52 May 22, 1980

June 3, 1983
John S. Martin Jr. Democratic
53 June 3, 1983

January 1, 1989
  Rudy Giuliani Republican Ronald Reagan
January 1, 1989

October 16, 1989
Benito Romano[p] Republican George H. W. Bush
54 October 16, 1989

May 31, 1993
Otto G. Obermaier Republican
55 June 1, 1993

January 7, 2002
  Mary Jo White Unaffiliated[10] Bill Clinton
56 January 7, 2002

December 15, 2003
  James Comey Republican[11] George W. Bush
December 15, 2003

September 6, 2005
  David N. Kelley[q] Democratic
57 September 6, 2005

December 1, 2008
  Michael J. Garcia Republican
December 1, 2008

August 13, 2009
  Lev Dassin[r] Unaffiliated
58 August 13, 2009

March 11, 2017
  Preet Bharara Democratic Barack Obama
March 11, 2017

January 5, 2018
  Joon Kim[s] [data missing] Donald Trump
January 5, 2018

June 20, 2020
  Geoffrey Berman[t] Republican
June 20, 2020

October 10, 2021
  Audrey Strauss[u] Democratic
59 October 10, 2021

present
  Damian Williams Democratic Joe Biden
  1. ^ Henry C. Platt served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  2. ^ Robert E. Manley served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  3. ^ Thomas E. Dewey served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  4. ^ Francis W. H. Adams served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  5. ^ Gregory Francis Noonan served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  6. ^ Correa served as Acting U.S. Attorney from March to July 1941 before official confirmation to the post.
  7. ^ Howard F. Corcoran served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  8. ^ McGohey served as Acting U.S. Attorney from October 9, 1944, to January 1945 before official confirmation to the post.
  9. ^ Saypol served as Acting U.S. Attorney from October 1949 to April 13, 1950, before official confirmation to the post.
  10. ^ Lloyd F. McMahon served as interim U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  11. ^ Arthur H. Christy served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  12. ^ Morton S. Robson served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  13. ^ From September 6 to November 20, 1962, Morgenthau resigned his position to run for Governor of New York. After he was defeated, John F. Kennedy re-appointed him as U.S. Attorney. In the interim, Vincent Lyons Broderick served as acting U.S. Attorney from September 5 to November 20, 1962.
  14. ^ Thomas J. Cahill served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  15. ^ William M. Tendy served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  16. ^ Benito Romano served as Acting U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  17. ^ David N. Kelley served as interim U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  18. ^ Lev Dassin served as interim U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  19. ^ Joon Kim served as interim U.S. Attorney during the vacancy
  20. ^ Geoffrey Berman served as Interim U.S. Attorney from January 5 to April 25, 2018[12][13] and as court-appointed U.S. Attorney from April 25, 2018, to June 20, 2020[14][15][16][17]
  21. ^ Audrey Strauss served as Acting U.S. Attorney from June 20, 2020, until she was court-appointed U.S. Attorney on January 16, 2021

Notable assistants

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Television

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The Showtime drama series Billions is loosely based on Preet Bharara's prosecution of SAC Capital and other hedge funds.[18]

The ABC legal drama For the People depicts new defense attorneys and prosecutors working in the Southern District of New York.

The 2020 Netflix series Fear City: New York vs The Mafia documents the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Southern District of New York against the Five Families of the Italian American Mafia in the 1980s.

References

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  1. ^ Weiser, Benjamin; Rashbaum, William K. (March 10, 2017). "With Preet Bharara's Dismissal, Storied Office Loses Its Top Fighter". New York Times. In past presidential transitions, the storied office, long known to be so independent of Washington that some people referred to it as the Sovereign District of New York, has in large measure moved forward unaffected by politics.
  2. ^ Beale, Sara Sun (2011). "What Are the Rules if Everybody Wants to Play?". In Barkow, Anthony S.; Barkow, Rachel E. (eds.). Prosecutors in the Boardroom: Using Criminal Law to Regulate Corporate conduct. NYU Press. p. 206. ISBN 9780814787038. Finally, in some multijurisdictional cases there have been turf battles rather than cooperation. For example, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York ... Press accounts have noted the perception that the 'Sovereign District of New York' ... doesn't necessar[il]y play well with others.
  3. ^ McDermott, Terry; Meyer, Josh (2012). The Hunt for KSM: Inside the Pursuit and Takedown of the Real 9/11 Mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Little, Brown. p. PT42. ISBN 9780316202732. This was sometimes referred to—mockingly, but enviously, too—as the Sovereign District of New York. It was in many ways a separate fiefdom from the rest of the Bureau, creating its own rules and procedures. The agent in charge of the office, unlike all but one other agent in charge, held the rank of an assistant director of the entire FBI.
  4. ^ Ragavan, Chitra (March 26, 2001). "The pardon buck stops in New York: U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White takes the lead". U.S. News & World Report. Vol. 130, no. 12. p. 24. The Bush administration has left the answer largely in the hands of White, a registered independent, whose office, because of its legendary independence and tenacity, is known as the 'sovereign district'.
  5. ^ Relman, Eliza (May 15, 2017). "'History will judge this moment': The 'Sheriff of Wall Street' urges Republican lawmakers to hold Trump accountable". Business Insider. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  6. ^ Berthelsen, Christian (October 11, 2021). "Wall Street Enforcer Becomes First Black U.S. Attorney for Manhattan". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved October 12, 2021.
  7. ^ Organization and Operation, U.S. Attorney's Office
  8. ^ "Southern District of New York". www.justice.gov. March 10, 2020. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  9. ^ "History". New York Young Republican Club. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  10. ^ 2013 Speech to the 14th Annual A.A. Sommer, Jr. Corporate Securities and Financial Law Lecture, Fordham Law School SEC. (October 3, 2013). Retrieved December 14, 2014
  11. ^ Krieg, Gregory (May 9, 2017). "Who is James Comey: 7 things to know about the fired FBI director". CNN. Retrieved July 8, 2017.
  12. ^ "Statement Of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman On Appointment By Chief Judge" (Press release). April 25, 2018. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  13. ^ Weiser, Benjamin (August 9, 2009). "For Manhattan's Next U.S. Attorney, Politics and Prosecution Don't Mix". The New York Times.
  14. ^ Orden, Erica; Perez, Evan; Prokupecz, Shimon (October 12, 2019). "Manhattan US attorney in the spotlight with another high profile investigation of Trump's inner circle". CNN. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  15. ^ Scannell, Kara (March 9, 2020). "US Attorney Geoffrey Berman asserts independence from Justice Department". CNN. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  16. ^ Erica Orden; Kara Scannell (February 15, 2020). "Attorney general's actions spark outrage and unease among US prosecutors". CNN. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  17. ^ Spinelli, Dan (February 15, 2020). "Report: Barr Protected Turkish Bank From Prosecution to Appease Erdogan". Mother Jones. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
  18. ^ Tallerico, Brian (April 2, 2017). "Billions Recap: Agents of Chaos". Vulture. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
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