The U.S. District Court in Washington is closed from Saturday, August 30, through Monday, September 1, for the Labor Day holiday, reopening on Tuesday, September 2 and there won’t be any “federal initial appearances,” according to a notice outlining procedures for handling arrests with possible federal charges over the holiday weekend.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office implemented the temporary measures, which apply to arrests occurring between Friday, August 29, and 4:00 a.m. Monday, September 1.Â
Under the procedures, arresting officers with cases that deal with potential federal charges — such as assault on a federal officer or narcotics offenses — should contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office duty agent, who will review the matter with a supervisory attorney to decide whether federal charges are appropriate.
If appropriate, the defendant will be transported to the Metropolitan Police Department’s First District for booking on local charges while federal prosecutors work on the case. A federal prosecutor and assigned agent would then create a criminal complaint and seek a federal warrant.
Defendants booked locally will be processed through Superior Court procedures, according to the notice from the court.
If a federal warrant is secured prior to a defendant’s Superior Court appearance, the U.S. Attorney’s Office would begin a transfer to federal court upon its reopening. If a warrant is not in place, the defendant’s case would move forward as a Superior Court case “pending potential federal adoption.”
