NCJ Number
26542
Date Published
1975
Length
40 pages
Annotation
AN ASSESSMENT OF THE GOAL ACHIEVEMENT OF THIS PROGRAM WHICH IS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF CASES BY PROVIDING LEGAL ASSISTANCE TO POLICE, TO PROSECUTE TARGET CRIMES, AND REDUCE NEGOTIATED PLEAS FOR TARGET CRIMES.
Abstract
EVALUATION ACTIVITIES CONSISTED OF A COMPARISON OF PROJECT DATA TO SIMILAR OFFENSES IN 1972 AND 1973, AND COMPARISONS WITH A SIMILAR GROUP OF CONCURRENT PROSECUTIONS IN THE MAIN OFFICE FOR EQUIVALENT OFFENSES. OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT WERE TO MAINTAIN AN ORIGINAL CHARGE CONVICTION RATE OF 85 PERCENT, TO MAINTAIN AN ORIGINAL CHARGE CONVICTION RATE 50 PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE COMPARISON GROUP RATE, AND TO MAINTAIN A RATE OF NEGOTIATED PLEAS OF LESS THAN 5 PERCENT. OTHER OBJECTIVES WERE TO INCREASE BY 50 PERCENT THE RATE OF GUILTY PLEAS TO THE ORIGINAL CHARGE OVER 1972 FIGURES FOR SELECTED OFFENSES, TO MAINTAIN A RATE OF CASES DISMISSED FOR INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE 50 PERCENT LOWER THAN THE COMPARISON GROUP, AND TO MAINTAIN AN ARREST-TO-TRIAL PERIOD EQUAL TO THE COMPARISON GROUP. THE TYPES OF CASES EXAMINED WERE BURGLARY, BURGLARY IN DWELLING, BURGLARY NOT IN DWELLING, ROBBERY, AND THEFT. DECLINE AND DISMISSAL OF CASES WERE NOT FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL AND COMPARISON GROUPS. THE 'ORIGINAL CHARGE' RATE WAS 71 PERCENT, SHORT OF THE OBJECTIVE OF 85 PERCENT, WHILE PLEA BARGAINED CASES WERE FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. THE GOAL OF INCREASING GUILTY PLEAS TO THE ORIGINAL CHARGE BY 50 PERCENT FROM THE 1972 AND 1973 RATES WAS ALSO ACHIEVED. THE MEDIAN NUMBER OF DAYS FROM ARREST-TO-TRIAL WAS 50 FOR THE PROJECT CASES AND 51 FOR CENTRAL OFFICE CASES. NUMEROUS COMPARISON TABLES ARE INCLUDED.