>>3643739In the United States, the courts and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are separate parts of the federal government.
The DOJ is part of the executive branch. It is headed by the United States Department of Justice and ultimately falls under the President. Federal prosecutors (U.S. Attorneys), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other law-enforcement components are within the DOJ.
The federal courts are part of the judicial branch, headed by the Supreme Court of the United States. Federal judges are independent and are not employees of the DOJ.
In a criminal case, the DOJ typically acts as the prosecutor, while the court acts as the neutral decision-maker