10 USC § 8856 - Duties of United States attorney

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t10/s8856"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "10 USC § 8856 - Duties of United States attorney"
title_number: 10
title_name: "ARMED FORCES"
section_number: "8856"
section_name: "Duties of United States attorney"
chapter_number: 883
chapter_name: "PRIZE"
part_number: "IV"
part_name: "GENERAL ADMINISTRATION"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 475, § 7656; renumbered § 8856, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(d)(9), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1837.)"
---


# § 8856. Duties of United States attorney

**(a)** The interests of the United States in a prize cause shall be represented by the United States attorney for the judicial district in which the prize cause is adjudicated. The United States attorney shall protect the interests of the United States and shall examine all fees, costs, and expenses sought to be charged against the prize fund.

**(b)** In a judicial district where one or more prize causes are pending the United States attorney shall send to the Secretary of the Navy, at least once every three months, a statement of all such causes in the form and covering the particulars required by the Secretary.

---

**Source Credit**: (Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 475, § 7656; renumbered § 8856, Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title VIII, § 807(d)(9), Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 1837.)

| Revised section | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7656 | 34 U.S.C. 1136. | R.S. 4619. |

The , , which repealed all laws authorizing the distribution of prize money to captors, rendered inoperative parts of R.S. 4619 relative to protection of captors’ interest. These parts are omitted from  and from the revised section.

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018— renumbered  as this section.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , with provision for the coordination of amendments and special rule for certain redesignations, see , set out as a note preceding .