Abstract
This article proposes principles for the exercise of prosecutorial discretion when prosecuting securities crime under state law. Securities transactions in the United States are subject to a dual-regulatory, multi-enforcer regime. Securities are dually regulated by the federal government and the states, with each regulatory scheme including both civil and criminal enforcement provisions. Those laws are multi-enforced at each level by a regulator, private parties, and prosecutors. And yet, the role of state prosecution of securities crime within this regime is undertheorized, and there is little guidance for state prosecutors about how their prosecutorial decisions affect this regime. This article, drawing from the goals of prosecuting securities crime and the implications of this complex regime, provides guidance on states' exercise of prosecutorial discretion therein