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US Attorney's Biography - Stephen J. Murphy
Stephen J. Murphy
United States Attorney
Eastern District of Michigan
President George W. Bush nominated Stephen J. Murphy, III, for the position of United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan on February 17, 2005 and he was confirmed by unanimous consent of the United States Senate on June 8, 2005. Prior to confirmation, Mr. Murphy took office and has served continuously as United States Attorney since March 8, 2005.
As United States Attorney, Mr. Murphy oversees offices in Detroit, Flint and Bay City, which are comprised of approximately 100 Assistant United States Attorneys and a similar number of support staff. Under an Executive Order from President Bush, Mr. Murphy serves as chair of the eastern district’s Anti-Terrorism Task Force to prevent and preempt future terrorist attacks. In addition to combating terrorism, Mr. Murphy has identified office priorities in the areas of violent crime, civil rights, and illegal narcotics. Mr. Murphy has renewed the office’s emphasis on cyber and high technology criminal activities, including identity theft, economic espionage, human trafficking and, increasingly, child exploitation and pornography violations. Since 2007, he has served as the Chairman of the Executive Board for the Michigan High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (“HIDTA”).
Mr. Murphy has created in the district an important Office of Deputy United States Attorney which works with the district’s media, youth and community groups to develop strategies for partnering with citizens in educational efforts to reduce crime and to develop effective firearms and violent crime initiatives such as the Project Safe Neighborhood program. Through these and other innovative efforts, such as his strategic leadership of the Project Safe Childhood initiative or chairmanship of the district’s Federal Law Enforcement Council (“FLEC”), Mr. Murphy has worked hard to promote cooperation between his office and federal, state and local law enforcement agencies – and with the community at large.
Prior to his service as United States Attorney, Mr. Murphy was an attorney with the General Motors Legal Staff in Detroit, where he specialized in litigation, internal investigations, counseling on various business law issues and other “white collar” matters. He has served as a public arbitrator for the National Association of Securities Dealers.
Mr. Murphy was previously with the United States Department of Justice for more than twelve years: first as a trial attorney with the Civil and Tax Divisions in Washington, D.C. (hired under the prestigious Honor Program), and then as an Assistant United States Attorney in Detroit from 1992-2000. During his tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Murphy prosecuted and tried various violent, narcotics and several high profile white-collar criminal cases in Detroit.
A 1987 graduate of the St. Louis University School of Law (where he helped edit the law review), Mr. Murphy is also active in legal and community affairs: he served as a member of the Michigan State Bar Board of Commissioners and he sat on a committee appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court to revise the Michigan rules of criminal procedure.
An experienced appellate advocate who, while in private practice, handled indigent criminal appointments in the United States Court of Appeals, Mr. Murphy is a published legal author and he has served an adjunct professor at both the Ave Maria and University of Detroit Mercy Schools of Law where he has taught Business Crimes, Evidence and Trial Practice.