NCJ Number
45719
Date Published
1977
Length
10 pages
Annotation
THE CONTINUATION OF A PROJECT TO PROVIDE TWO FULL-TIME PROSECUTORS TO A MIXED URBAN AND RURAL REGION PREVIOUSLY SERVED BY PART-TIME PROSECUTORS IS EVALUATED USING THE GRANT OBJECTIVES AND IS FOUND TO BE LARGELY SUCCESSFUL.
Abstract
THE FIVE OBJECTIVES, AN AMPLIFICATION OF THE FOUR OF THE ORIGINAL GRANT, WERE EVALUATED FROM JULY 1,1976 TO MARCH 31, 1977. THEY WERE: 1) TO ALLOW ALLOCATION OF PROSECUTION MANPOWER RESPONSIVE TO THE VOLUME AND NATURE OF CRIMINAL MATTERS IN THE DISTRICT; 2) TO INCREASE THE VOLUME OF DISPOSED CASES AND ENHANCE THE RATE OF SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION; 3) TO SEND PROSECUTORS TO A NATIONAL INSTITUTE SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION ON 'EXCLUSIONARY RULES IN TODAY'S CRIMINAL PRACTICE'; 4) TO REDUCE CASE BACKLOG ACCRUED AS A RESULT OF PROSECUTOR SHORTAGE; AND 5) TO PROVIDE PROSECUTION SO AS TO BRING CRIMINAL OFFENDERS TO TRIAL WITHIN 60 DAYS. TABLES SHOW THE RESULTS OF THE EVALUATION AND COMPARE THE DATA OF THE CONTINUATION GRANT TO THE STATISTICS GATHERED ABOUT THE ORIGINAL PROJECT. BLACK HAWK COUNTY, THE MOST URBAN OF THE FIVE COUNTIES INVOLVED, NEEDED CRIMINAL PROSECUTION ON A REGULAR BASIS, WHILE RURAL COUNTIES UTILIZED THE PROSECUTORS ON A NEED BASIS. AVAILABILITY OF QUALIFIED PROSECUTION HAS ELIMINATED 'SPECIAL PROSECUTOR' FEES IN ALL BUT BLACK HAWK COUNTY. THE NUMBER OF CASES FILED INCREASED 4.1 PERCENT IN THE CONTINUATION YEAR, THUS MEETING THE FIRST HALF OF THE SECOND OBJECTIVE SUCCESSFULLY. THE CONVICTION RATES OF NORTHEAST IOWA WERE ALREADY HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER AREA OF THE STATE WHEN THE PROJECT WAS INITIATED, AND REMAINED HIGH FOR BOTH YEARS. ONE OF THE TWO PROSECUTORS DID ATTEND THE INSTITUTE RECOMMENDED IN THE THIRD OBJECTIVE. THE FOURTH, REGARDING CASE BACKLOG, WAS MORE AMBIGUOUS, SINCE OTHER FACTORS BESIDES THE AVAILABILITY OF PROSECUTION INFLUENCE THE DATA (SUCH AS PLEA BARGAINING AND AVAILABILITY OF JUDGES). THE NUMBER OF PENDING CASES INCREASED FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND YEAR OF THE GRANT, BUT AT A LOWER RATE THAN BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROGRAM. BLACK HAWK COUNTY ACCOUNTED FOR 75% OF ALL CASES FILED AND MOST OF THE INCREASED BACKLOG. IT IS FELT THAT THE PROJECT HAS POSITIVELY INFLUENCED INITIAL DECISIONS, UPGRADED PROSECUTION EXPERTISE, AND LIMITED PROSECUTION SCHEDULING CONFLICTS, BUT THE SUCCESS OF THE FOURTH OBJECTIVE IS DIFFICULT TO MEASURE NONETHELESS. CRIMINAL OFFENDERS IN THE DISTRICT ARE BEING BROUGHT TO TRIAL WITHIN 45 TO 50 DAYS AFTER ARREST, THUS MEETING THE LAST OBJECTIVE. A REQUEST FOR A THIRD YEAR OF FUNDING HAS BEEN FILED, AND IF RECEIVED, ANOTHER EVALUATION WILL BE PERFORMED AFTER THE TERM OF THE PROPOSED GRANT. A SAMPLE DATA COLLECTION FORM IS PROVIDED. (MPL)