NCJ Number
49695
Date Published
1978
Length
85 pages
Annotation
THE IMPROVED LOWER COURT CASE HANDLING (ILCCH) PROGRAM IN CLARK COUNTY, NEV., WAS EVALUATED AS PART OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE CASE PROCESSING OF MISDEMEANANTS.
Abstract
THE ILCCH PROGRAM WAS INTENDED TO IMPROVE THE PROCESSING OF MISDEMEANANT OFFENDERS THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION AND OPERATION OF EIGHT PROGRAM COMPONENTS. FOUR OF THESE COMPONENTS OFFERED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JUDICIAL PERSONNEL LESS DRASTIC METHODS FOR HANDLING MISDEMEANANTS: POLICE CITATIONS, COURT SUMMONS, PRETRIAL RELEASE, AND SELECT OFFENDER PROBATION. THREE COMPONENTS WERE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CONSISTENCY AND EFFICIENCY IN HANDLING MISDEMEANOR CASES: CASE SCREENING, PROMIS, AND SHORT FORM PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORTS. THE EIGHTH COMPONENT KNOWN AS THE MASS CASE COORDINATOR WAS DESIGNED TO FOSTER COORDINATION AMONG THE OTHER PROGRAM COMPONENTS AND ACROSS CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES TO BETTER MANAGE CASE FLOW. A UNIFORM CITATION TICKET WAS DEVISED FOR USE BY ALL POLICE AGENCIES IN THE COUNTY, AND A UNIFORM SUMMONS WAS DEVELOPED FOR ALL PROSECUTORIAL AGENCIES. PLANS TO DEVELOP FORMAL GUIDELINES FOR THE ISSUANCE OF THE UNIFORM SUMMONS FAILED BECAUSE JUDGES DID NOT WANT TO REDUCE THEIR DISCRETION IN THE USE OF SUMMONS. A PRETRIAL RELEASE PROGRAM, OPERATED BY A PRIVATE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, WAS PART OF THE ILCCH PROGRAM FOR 13 MONTHS. PROCEDURAL CHANGES WERE INSTITUTED IN CASE SCREENING TO GIVE A SCREENING UNIT, RATHER THAN POLICE, RESPONSIBILITY FOR FILING CHARGES IN MISDEMEANOR CASES. ILCCH PROGRAM FUNDS WERE USED TO CONTINUE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. MISDEMEANANT PROBATION IS NOT A LEGAL OPTION IN NEVADA, SO PROBATION AND PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION COMPONENTS WERE IMPLEMENTED AS PART OF THE COURT COUNSELING PROGRAM. THE ILCCH PROGRAM, IN GENERAL, WAS PLANNED AND EVOLVED COMPONENT BY COMPONENT, AND THE MASS CASE COORDINATOR ROLE NEVER DEVELOPED THE ACTIVE COORDINATIVE-MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS ENVISIONED BY THE PROGRAM. NO MECHANISMS WERE DEVISED TO ANALYZE MISDEMEANANT PROCESSING PROBLEMS OR TO PROPOSE COORDINATED SOLUTIONS. THE ILCCH PROGRAM RESULTED IN SOME LOCALIZED IMPROVEMENTS, PRIMARILY PRETRIAL RELEASE AND COURT COUNSELING ELEMENTS. PROCEDURAL CHANGES RELATED TO POLICE CITATIONS, COURT SUMMONS, AND CASE SCREENING WERE INSTITUTIONALIZED, AND A PROMIS SYSTEM NEARED COMPLETION. THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN CLARK COUNTY IS DESCRIBED IN AN APPENDIX.