A prosecutor is a lawyer who represents the government in court and tries to prove that a person accused of a crime is guilty.
From *prosecute* + *-or*, meaning 'one who prosecutes'. It grew out of the idea of someone who actively pursues legal action.
A prosecutor is literally the person who 'follows the case forward' on behalf of the community. Their power is huge: by choosing which cases to pursue, they shape what a society actually punishes in practice.
The role of prosecutor has historically been dominated by men in many legal systems, reflecting broader gender imbalances in the legal profession and judiciary. Women entering prosecutorial roles often faced bias and skepticism about their authority.
Use "prosecutor" as a gender-neutral term and avoid defaulting to male pronouns or images; represent prosecutors of different genders in examples.
["state’s attorney","public prosecutor","district attorney"]
When discussing landmark cases, acknowledge women prosecutors and legal professionals whose work has shaped jurisprudence but has often received less public attention than that of male counterparts.
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