NCJ Number
75345
Date Published
1980
Length
55 pages
Annotation
This report analyzes the organization of the office of the Commonwealth Attorney for Warren County, Kentucky and recommends changes for a more efficient handling of the felony caseload to avoid backlogs.
Abstract
The analysis was conducted on November 20 and 21, 1980 by a Technical Assistance team from the Criminal Prosecution Technical Assistance Project. Organization of the office of the attorney and management areas including intake control and police reporting, case tracking and file control, budgeting and management, space utilization and the use of statistics were examined. Miscellaneous concerns such as the victim/witness and the pretrial diversion programs were also examined. To speed up the flow of the felony caseload the control of the intake of felony cases should become the office's first priority. Other recommendations included delivery of the sworn to complaint to the office within 24 hours of every felony arrest, and a review of every felony charge within two weeks of the arrest. The office should also receive a daily record of the volume of cases at the District Court, which is the source of the majority of the office's caseload. Other recommendations concerned changes in the filing system, State funds for the victim/witness unit when the Federal funding elapses, and program completion by diverted defendants. Models of a prosecution report, a case file jacket, a witness list, and other samples included intake and disposition reports are appended.