NCJ Number
150547
Date Published
1994
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This report presents statistics and information on the 1993 activities of Pierce County's (Washington State) Prosecutor's Office.
Abstract
The office prosecuted 4,743 felony defendants, a slight reduction from 1992. The average felony deputy prosecutor handled 139 cases, which indicates that under-staffing continues to be a problem. The office aims to reach an average caseload of 100 per deputy prosecutor. The conviction rate continues to be equal to better staffed counties, due largely to unpaid overtime put in by staff. Drug cases continued an increase (20 percent) that began last year. The office continues to press for funding of a "Drug Court" that will focus on matching drug addicts to appropriate treatment, while sending drug dealers to prison. The Investigative Services Division was instrumental in uncovering a major entitlement fraud ring in the county, and the office has worked on technical procedures to implement the State's new "three strikes" law. The juvenile division has not received a staffing increase in the past 5 years in spite of an increasing caseload that has become unmanageable. The Misdemeanor Division worked with the county's Domestic Violence Task Force to develop new ways of tracking, handling, and prosecuting domestic violence cases. The Family Support Division created a special collection team that targeted "deadbeat" parents who refused to pay child support. The office approached the Superior Courts and the Department of Assigned Counsel about using the office's computerized case tracking system to create a multi- department system that could save hundreds of hours by limiting the duplication of data entry. Caseload and financial statistics are provided.