NCJ Number
41644
Date Published
1976
Length
25 pages
Annotation
THIS PROJECT CREATED A TEAM (LAWYER, INVESTIGATOR, LEGAL SECRETARY) WITHIN THE OFFICE OF THE PIERCE COUNTY PROSECUTING ATTORNEY TO WORK IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROSECUTION OF FINANCIAL AND 'WHITE COLLAR' CRIMES.
Abstract
THE UNIT, AS ESTABLISHED, WAS TO ENGAGE IN SEARCHES FOR WHITE COLLAR AND FINANCIAL CRIMES, DEVELOP EVIDENCE, AND INITIATE PROSECUTIONS IN CASES WHICH, PRIOR TO THE UNIT'S EXISTENCE, WOULD HAVE GONE UNDETECTED OR UNPROSECUTED. THIS EVALUATION WAS CONDUCTED AS AN EX POST FACTO STUDY OF THE PROJECT, FOLLOWING TERMINATION OF LEAA FUNDING. PROJECT OPERATION AND RESULTS WERE COMPARED TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE KING COUNTY FRAUD UNIT, A LEAA FUNDED DEMONSTRATION PROJECT THAT WAS DEEMED SUCCESSFUL IN THE PROSECUTION OF ECONOMIC CRIME. EVALUATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE WHITE COLLAR CRIME PROJECT ENTERED INTO THE EXPECTED NUMBER OF CASES AND EXCEEDED THE SUCCESS OBJECTIVES DEVELOPED FOR THE NUMBER OF CASES PROSECUTED, WHILE REALIZING AN 89% CONVICTION RATE. THE WHITE COLLAR CRIME PROJECT PROSECUTED MORE SIGNIFICANT CASES IN THE AREA OF CONSUMER FRAUD WHILE THE OPPOSITE SITUATION WAS TRUE FOR THE KING COUNTY FRAUD UNIT. IN TERMS OF THE OUTCOME OF CASES, MOST DISPOSITIONS WERE SPECIFIED AS A RESTITUTION ORDER AND A JAIL SENTENCE, WITH THE SENTENCE BEING DEFERRED, SUSPENDED, OR GREATLY REDUCED IN THE INTEREST OF RESTITUTION PAYMENT. SIXTY-SIX PERCENT OF ALL RESTITUTION ORDERED WAS PAID. THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT, HOWEVER, IS NOT CLEAR, SINCE THERE IS SOME INDICATION THAT THE PROJECT DID NOT TAKE THE ACTIVE STANCE ON WHITE COLLAR CRIME THAT THEY HAD PROPOSED AND CONSEQUENTLY MAY NOT HAVE HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN THE AREA OF THE TARGETED CRIMES....ELW