NCJ Number
70067
Date Published
1977
Length
323 pages
Annotation
This final report to the Massachusetts Committee on Criminal Justice contains an assessment of the District Court Prosecutor (DCP) programs, which provide attorney prosecutors to supplement the work of police prosecutors in the Commonwealth's district courts.
Abstract
Following a brief description of the DCP programs, the report presents conclusions and recommendations by area of inquiry. The principal recommendation is that the DCP programs should be continued since their general effect has been to improve the performance of the district court system. The study found that the DCP programs have promoted the adversarial process in the district courts and improved the quality with which the Commonwealth is represented in criminal proceedings in district courts. Furthermore, the presence of a DCP on the prosecution side has enabled district court judges to assume a more neutral role in the proceedings. Also, DCP programs have helped with case disposition, reduced the number of serious charges, encouraged plea bargaining, and assisted police personnel with some procedures. Recommendatins to improve the DCP programs include improving the preparation of case information, helping police to prepare search warrant affidavits, and employing more full-time DCP's. For improving the DCP programs, the study recommends establishment of minimum qualifications for future DCP's, training programs for incoming DCP's, continuing legal education series for more experinced DCP's, and written guidelines concerning the authority and responsibilities of DCP's. Also suggested are administrative and clerical support for the program, allocation of program budgets by district attorneys, and better case scheduling by district courts to avoid prosecution scheduling conflicts. Footnotes and tabular data are included. Volume 2 contains questionnaires, observation guides, a records analysis form, and interview guides used in the study. (Author abstract modified)