NCJ Number
177973
Date Published
1997
Length
95 pages
Annotation
In September 1996, the King County Prosecutor's Office in Seattle, Washington, received funding from the Youth Handgun Violence Initiative Grant to hire a full-time deputy prosecuting attorney (DPA) in the juvenile court dedicated exclusively to the prosecution of juvenile firearm offenses.
Abstract
The general goal of the DPA was strong enforcement of handgun-related crimes to get the most serious offenders off the street. Specific goals were to expedite the filing and prosecuting of juvenile firearm cases, increase conviction rates at trial, decrease pretrial dismissal rates, identify the most serious offenders, act as liaison between the Juvenile Division of the Prosecutor's Office and the Seattle Police Department, and conduct a statistical analysis of juvenile firearm offenses for the last 3 years. During the grant period, improvements were made in virtually every aspect of the prosecution of juvenile firearm offenses. The DPA improved the efficiency and effectiveness of prosecution efforts, and the additional emphasis on the prosecution of juvenile firearm offenders influenced the way police, courts, and the probation department treated these juveniles. Juvenile firearm offenders also felt the impact of the grant. Their cases were filed faster, they were more likely to be detained and convicted, they were more likely to be detained for adult prosecution, and they were more likely to be sentenced above the standard range. Specific duties of the DPA and examples of cases handled by the DPA are noted. Details are provided on the juvenile firearm database, the juvenile court system in King County, characteristics of juvenile firearm offenders and incidents, and types of firearms used by juvenile offenders. A geographic analysis of juvenile firearm offenses is also included. Tables and figures