MILWAUKEE COUNTY (WI) DISTRICT ATTORNEY PROJECT ASSISTANCE TO THE URBAN PROSECUTOR - FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 48523
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 193 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Wisconsin Dept of Admin
• Corporate Author: National District Atorneys Assoc
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

OBJECTIVES OF A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TRAINING AND MANUALS, DEVELOP SPECIAL UNITS, AND OTHERWISE ASSIST URBAN PROSECUTORS ARE LISTED, ALONG WITH AN EVALUATION OF EACH OBJECTIVE. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE.

Abstract

THE PROGRAM WAS DIVIDED INTO SEVERAL ASPECTS: TRAINING, DEVELOPMENT OF UNIFORM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, A PRETRIAL PROJECT, THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT UNIT, A WITNESS SUPPORT UNIT (FOCUSING ON RAPE VICTIMS), A SPEEDY TRIAL TEAM, AND A SPECIAL DRUGS, GAMBLING, AND ORGANIZED CRIME UNIT. OF THESE, THE TRAINING PROGRAM INVOLVED THE GREATEST NUMBER OF SPECIFIC INNOVATIONS: SPECIAL TRAINING SESSIONS, DEVELOPMENT OF A LOOSELEAF POLICY MANUAL FOR PROSECUTORIAL ASSISTANTS, AND CLOSE OBSERVATION OF ASSISTANTS' WORK TO IMPROVE IN-COURT PERFORMANCE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF UNIFORM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IS DESCRIBED. THIS HAS BEEN PRIMARILY AN ADMINISTRATIVE TASK. THE PRETRIAL UNIT WAS ESTABLISHED TO ACHIEVE UNIFORMITY IN THE PLEA BARGAINING PROCESS. PRELIMINARY STATISTICS INDICATE THAT THERE HAS BEEN A 250 PERCENT INCREASE IN NUMBER OF FORMAL DISCOVERY DEMANDS IN THE YEAR FOLLOWING ESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNIT AND THAT AN INCREASED NUMBER OF CASES ARE BEING SETTLED WITHOUT GOING TO TRIAL. THE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT UNIT CONCENTRATED ON STREAMLINING PAPERWORK AND ESTABLISHING UNIFORM PERSONNEL POLICIES FOR COURT PERSONNEL. THE WITNESS SUPPORT UNIT AND THE DRUGS, GAMBLING, AND ORGANIZED CRIME UNITS ARE CALLED TWO OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ASPECTS OF THE PROGRAM. THE WITNESS SUPPORT TEAM OFFERS HELP AND COUNSELING PRIMARILY TO RAPE VICTIMS AND HAS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS WILLING TO PRESS CHARGES. THE SPECIAL DRUGS, GAMBLING, AND ORGANIZED CRIME UNIT RESULTED IN 75 PROSECUTIONS, 15 OF WHICH WERE KEY FIGURES IN ORGANIZED CRIME IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY. THE SPEEDY TRIAL PROJECT HAS ENCOUNTERED TWO DIFFICULTIES, THE 37 PERCENT INCREASE IN TOTAL CASES FILED BETWEEN 1974 AND 1975 AND AN INCREASE IN NUMBER OF DEFENSE MOTIONS FILED. HOWEVER, ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE TO SET UP SPECIAL COURTS, USING RETIRED JUDGES, TO CLEAR OUT THE BACKLOG OF CASES. IT IS HOPED THAT EXPANSION OF THE SYSTEM WILL BE POSSIBLE TO HANDLE THE INCREASED CASELOAD. IT IS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT THE COURT CONSIDER COMPUTERIZATION OF RECORDS TO HANDLE THE INCREASING WORKLOAD. (GLR)