The U.S. equivalent of the Jamaican Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is the "District Attorney (DA)." In the United States, a District Attorney is a public official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. Similar to the Jamaican DPP, the DA has the authority to decide whether to bring criminal charges, prosecute cases, and advise law enforcement during criminal investigations. Each county or judicial district in the U.S. typically has its own DA, whereas Jamaica has a single DPP who serves the entire country.