Petite Policy Law and Legal Definition
Petite policy refers to a housekeeping provision of the US Justice Department that following a state prosecution there should be no federal prosecution for the same transaction in the absence of compelling federal interests. It is merely an internal guideline for exercise of prosecutorial discretion, and therefore not subject to judicial review.
The following is an example of a caselaw on petite policy:
The Petite policy is merely a housekeeping provision of the Department of Justice that, at most, serves as a guide for the use of the Attorney General and the United States Attorneys in the field, and thus does not confer any enforceable rights upon criminal defendants. [United States v. Barrett, 496 F.3d 1079 (10th Cir. Okla. 2007)]
