New York State has four federal courts. Two of these, the Southern and the Eastern District Courts, are located within New York City, with the Southern District known as "the most competitive and coveted U.S Attorney's Office in the nation."
In The Districts, Johnny Dwyer (American Warlord), claims the Southern District outshines the Eastern only because of "the cult of personality surrounding the head of their office." Many former United States Attorneys for the Southern District are famous: Rudy Giuliani, James Comey, Preet Bharara. But both courts exceed the national average in convictions against defendants. "When a line prosecutor in New York City types a name on a charging document, there is only one expectation: victory."
Dwyer seems to have a soft spot for the Eastern District. Three of his court narratives take place there: Mafia wise guys who never made it big, a college student returning from a visit to Jamaica with cocaine in her luggage and a 17-year-old who was "held in solitary confinement for nearly six months" on charges of "attempting to support the Islamic State." These are stories that threaten to make the white-collar criminals of the Southern District turn pale and fade away.
Still, Dwyer makes it clear that the majesty and power of the Southern District Court is unassailable. This is where Wall Street criminality and political corruption receive punishment. This is where Michael Cohen was convicted. This is where history is made.
And in both of these courts, Dwyer reminds readers, this is "where we still turn to address the most fundamental human longing: justice." --Janet Brown, author and former bookseller