NCJ Number
53720
Date Published
1977
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THE ACTIVITIES OF TRIAL PREPARATION SPECIALISTS (TPS) AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS IN ACHIEVING MORE FAVORABLE OUTCOMES IN PRIORITY PROSECUTION PROJECT CASES ARE THE SUBJECT OF THIS DENVER, COLO., ANTICRIME PROGRAM STUDY.
Abstract
THE PRIORITY PROSECUTION PROJECT WAS FUNDED BY THE DENVER ANTI-CRIME COUNCIL TO SCREEN AND SELECT FELONY CASES TO RECEIVE SPECIAL INVESTIGATION AND TRIAL PREPARATION. THIS EVALUATION OF THE WORK AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TPS USED QUESTIONNAIRES TO COLLECT OBJECTIVE MEASUREMENTS OF TPS DUTIES AND TO SOLICIT SUBJECTIVE OPINIONS FROM DEPUTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS, ALONG WITH COURT RECORDS TO COMPARE CASE DISPOSITIONS BEFORE AND AFTER INSTITUTION OF THE TPS PROGRAM. A LARGE NUMBER OF QUESTIONNAIRES, HOWEVER, WERE NOT RETURNED, AND THE EVALUATION ENCOUNTERED PROBLEMS OF DEFINITION (I.E., IS PLEA BARGAINING A 'BETTER' OUTCOME THAN A TRIAL THAT RESULTS IN ACQUITTAL?). WORK ACTIVITIES PERFORMED BY THE TSP CONSISTED OF THE FOLLOWING: INTERVIEWING WITNESSES (78.3 PERCENT OF THE CASES); INVESTIGATING CRIME SCENES (33.6 PERCENT OF THE CASES); COLLECTING AND PREPARING PHOTOGRAPHS, DIAGRAMS, AND SUCH (23 PERCENT OF THE CASES); AND TRIAL ASSISTANCE (22.1 PERCENT OF THE CASES). TPS'S ALSO PERFORMED SUCH MISCELLANEOUS DUTIES AS TRANSPORTING WITNESSES, MAKING TELEPHONE CONTACTS, AND OBTAINING RECORDS FROM AGENCIES. NUMBER OF HOURS EXPENDED ON ANY ONE CASE RANGED FROM 1 HOUR TO 240 HOURS (6 WEEKS) WITH AN AVERAGE OF 3.5 WORKDAYS. COMMENTS ON THE HELPFULNESS OF THE TPS WERE RECEIVED FOR ONLY 130 OF THE 244 CASES STUDIED, BUT THEY WERE POSITIVE IN 83 PERCENT OF THE INSTANCES. COMPARISONS WITH BASELINE CASES SELECTED FROM COURT RECORDS SHOWED THAT THE STUDY CASES WERE MORE LIKELY TO BE TRIED, WERE MORE LIKELY TO RESULT IN A GUILTY VERDICT, AND WERE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE NEGOTIATED PLEAS. PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED IN COMPARING THE BASELINE AND STUDY CASES ARE REVIEWED. A MORE RIGOROUS EVALUATION DESIGN IS SUGGESTED. (GLR)