# Justice Manual § 9-27.120: Application

> Federal · Agency guidance · In force

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.120

## Section

- **Citation:** Justice Manual § 9-27.120
- **Heading:** Application
- **Jurisdiction:** Federal
- **Kind:** Agency guidance
- **Status:** In force
- **Text as of:** August 14, 2026
- **Source:** Compiled text
- **Location:** DOJ Justice Manual / Title 9: Criminal / 9-27.000 - Principles of Federal Prosecution / Justice Manual § 9-27.120

## Text

In carrying out criminal law enforcement responsibilities, each Department of Justice attorney should be guided by these principles, and each United States Attorney and each Assistant Attorney General should ensure that such principles are communicated to the attorneys who exercise prosecutorial responsibility within his/her office or under his/her direction or supervision. Prosecutors should further refer to the Attorney General’s memoranda—
General Department Policies Regarding Charging, Pleas, and Sentencing
and
Additional Department Policies Regarding Charging, Pleas, and Sentencing in Drug Cases
—for additional background and guidance.

Comment
. It is expected that each federal prosecutor will be guided by these principles in carrying out his/her criminal law enforcement responsibilities unless a modification of, or departure from, these principles has been authorized pursuant to
JM 9-27.140
. However, it is not intended that reference to these principles will require a particular prosecutorial decision in any given case. Rather, these principles are set forth solely for the purpose of assisting attorneys for the government in determining how best to exercise their authority in the performance of their duties.

[updated June 2023]

## Nearby sections

- [Justice Manual § 9-27.001 Preface](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.001.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.110 Purpose](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.110.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.120 Application](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.120.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.130 Implementation](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.130.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.140 Modifications or Departures](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.140.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.150 Non-Litigability](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.150.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.200 Initiating and Declining Prosecution—Probable Cause Requirement](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.200.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.220 Grounds for Commencing or Declining Prosecution](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.220.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.230 Initiating and Declining Charges—Substantial Federal Interest](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.230.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.240 Initiating and Declining Charges—Prosecution in Another Jurisdiction](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.240.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.250 Non-Criminal Alternatives to Prosecution](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.250.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.260 Initiating and Declining Charges—Impermissible Considerations](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.260.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.270 Records of Prosecutions Declined](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.270.md)
- [Justice Manual § 9-27.300 Selecting Charges—Conducting an Individualized Assessment](https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.300.md)

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/statutes/JM_S9-27.120. Check the current official text before relying on it. Not legal advice.