Eileen M. Decker Sworn In as United States Attorney

LOS ANGELES – Eileen M. Decker was sworn in today in a private ceremony as the United States Attorney for the Central District of California.

Decker was sworn in by United States District Judge Beverly Reid O’Connell in her courtroom in the United States Courthouse.

Decker now leads the largest United States Attorney’s Office outside of the District of Columbia. The office, which currently employs approximately 250 attorneys, serves more than 19 million residents in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

 “It is a great honor to lead the United States Attorney’s Office,” Decker said today. “It is an office with a great legacy of prosecuting some of the most significant and difficult cases in the nation, and I look forward to building on that legacy in the years to come. I also look forward to working in close partnership with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners in achieving greater public safety throughout the district.”

After being unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on June 11, Decker was given a four-year appointment by President Barack Obama. Decker succeeds United States Attorney André Birotte Jr., who resigned to become a United States District Judge in August 2014.

Prior to becoming the United States Attorney, Decker was the Deputy Mayor for Homeland Security and Public Safety for the City of Los Angeles, and served in the administrations of Mayor Eric Garcetti and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. As Deputy Mayor, Decker was responsible for matters related to the police department, fire department and emergency management department. In addition, she was the principle government liaison to all federal law enforcement agencies for the City of Los Angeles.

Decker was an Assistant United States Attorney from 1995 until 2009, during which time she prosecuted cases in the office’s national security, fraud and violent crime sections. For most of her nearly 15 years as an Assistant United States Attorney, Decker acted as a supervisor, serving as the Chief of the National Security Section (2007 - 2009), Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime and Terrorism Section (2002 – 2007), and Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force (1999 – 2002).

From 1990 to 1991, and again from 1992 until 1995, Decker worked in private practice in Los Angeles at the law firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. From 1991 until 1992, she served as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Gary L. Taylor in the Central District of California.

Decker received her undergraduate and law degrees from New York University. She also received a Master’s Degree in Homeland Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School.