Prosecutorial resources

[Ark]

Loudoun Co. CA office won't be involved in the prosecution of certain misdemeanor crimes

In a letter obtained by 7News, Loudoun County Commonwealth's Attorney Buta Biberaj said she will no longer prosecute certain misdemeanor charges.

wjla.com

This is becoming more common at multiple levels of gov't. Prosecutor offices are having difficulty attracting and retaining personnel. Trials take longer as juries expect more, see more video, etc. Courts are still dealing with COVID back logs.

Funding the police only helps the front end. Without sufficient resources in Prosecutor offices, public defense, and corrections the revolving door only speeds up or diversion and sweetheart pleas get more and moreincentive zed.

Add in political pandering and here we are.

No point giving money to blue team prosecutor offices when they're just going to ignore real crimes and go after conservatives and gun owners for made up administrative crimes instead.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

No point giving money to blue team prosecutor offices when they're just going to ignore real crimes and go after conservatives and gun owners for made up administrative crimes instead.

What made up administrative crimes are local prosecutors going after conservatives and gun owners for?

 

[Kirk Freeman]

What made up administrative crimes are local prosecutors going after conservatives and gun owners for?

Political offenses, although this example from Tippecanoe County was not conservative. Prosecution of non-crimes for the sake of politics weakens law enforcement as a whole. The more they grasp at straws, the weaker their office becomes.

Ex-Wabash Township trustee 'vindicated,' considers back pay after convictions reversed

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) — Ex-Wabash Township Trustee Jennifer Teising says she feels vindicated after the Indiana Court of Appeals overturned her 21 felony theft convictions.

www.wlfi.com

 

[cosermann]

Lots of reasons for the current quagmire, and probably no easy fixes unfortunately.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Lots of reasons for the current quagmire, and probably no easy fixes unfortunately.

Ultimate solution is political, not monetary.

Prosecutors swim in a pool of money (much of which voters do not realize exists) and get almost anything they want from County Councils. However, people are busy with work, taking kids to karate or cheer or whatever, that they have "contracted out" (I said farm once and people got mad, so contracted out) this function of government. They don't have time to follow or study and do not realize that the PA is the CLEO of the county and runs stuff.

As well, much of the criminal code is in need of abolition so Prosecutors can re-focus on crimes with victims instead of prohibition style crimes. Why do Prosecutors blow off Murders or Human Trafficking? Because prohibition style crimes are more definitive and allow quick press conferences/releases.

Every "problem" Prosecutors cry about at press conferences, they have caused themselves. The have money, time and staff., it is how they use it.

As well, a great reform to keep Prosecutors in their lane and not use their office as a political weapon, is to make exceptions Prosecutor Absolute Immunity. While Absolute Immunity is repugnant to the Constitution, it is judicially created from whole cloth and can be modified with legislation. You, politically, cannot get rid of it all at once, but exceptions which will then eat the rule, can and should be made (bad faith, knowingly, obvious violations, etc.).

 

[KellyinAvon]

Take a breath...

 

[KellyinAvon]

Tensions were running a bit high there. Thread unlocked.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Tensions were running a bit high there. Thread unlocked.

I did spin class and yoga today. Tension is good.

I believe Prosecutors giving diversions on busywork cases (your definition may vary) is a positive good for the public and, potentially, allows them to refocus the schwerpunkt of their office. I may wear clown shoes for believing that there are bigger fish to fry than bags of weed or paying collections agent for grocery stores in the Prosecutor's bad check program but I am not incorrect in saying that it is within the purview of the elected Prosecutor to orient the direction of her office.

Prosecutors do not suffer from resources (IPAC runs the General Assembly) and money. If people are leaving the Marion County Prosecuting Attorney, my chips are on job opportunities in Indy. In all my 28 years of practice, people have always left the Marion County Prosecuting Attorney, turnover is normal.

I have a misdemeanor there in 36 where I am on my 5th prosecutor. There's always been a lot of Brownian movement down there.

BBIs is absolutely correct in identifying the Prosecuting Attorney as a neglected Constitutional office by the public, but resources ain't the problem there. I urge my fellow INGOers to get involved and read more into the elections for Prosecuting Attorney. It is an extremely powerful and important position, read, ask others, and, above all, ask questions. Your right, and duty, as a citizen.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Here's how much cash is being thrown around for hiring deputy prosecutors in Marion County:

Deputy Prosecutor​

Salary
$53,000.00 Annually

What an incredibly attractive income for someone with a law degree and the debt that generally goes with it. I'm not shocked a defense attorney wants to cast aspersions on the prosecutor's office as a whole, but let's be realistic. Top shelf talent is not beating down the door for $53k. Public defenders aren't doing any better, mind you, but at least the idealistic can keep warm with their goal fulfillment of representing the downtrodden. You'll note I mentioned defense in the first post as well, without meaningful manpower in both offense and defense the game gets delayed, if you'll accept a metaphor.

So, if you're crying about minor crimes not being prosecuted you have to think why that is. Prosecutors generally accepted the job to prosecute crimes and aren't big fans of thieves. Not everyone can get a special prosecutor for their car burglary while simultaneously saying petty theft is busy work for others, but most of us would like some action taken if someone is caught breaking in to our car. Police don't have the personnel to follow up on every car burglary, public attorneys don't have the manpower, courts don't have the time, and jails don't have the space. People get testy here when I point out the useless nature of arresting someone for quality of life crimes, but that's the reality of it.

If we don't have quality people in both elected and appointed positions we can't make a difference.