MCAO PRESENTATION DEC 8 2014.PPTX

Maricopa County
Attorney’s Office
Budget Accomplishments and Challenges
December 2014

CY 2014 Accomplishments
• 31,745 felony filings
• 28,704 misdemeanor citations
and direct filings
• 5,244 filed juvenile petitions
• 2,953 new civil matters

2014 Accomplishments
• Geographic realignment is complete
• MCAO Sex Crimes Bureaus and Community Based
Prosecution Division have been geographically
realigned
• This strengthens working relationships with law
enforcement and community partners and
effectively targets specific offender populations


2014 Accomplishments
• MCAO’s role in the community continues to be
enhanced through targeted outreach:
• 2014 Friday Night Football Patrol set new record with
more than 7,700 drug-free pledges signed
• “Creating Community: Bullying Prevention and
Positive Youth Development” Program wins 2014
NACo Achievement Award
• Safe Kids Summer sets new record with more than
7,100 kids visiting MCAO safety tents at water parks
and swimming pools
• MCAO Team presented Red Ribbon Drug Prevention
programs to nearly 8,300 students

2014 Accomplishments
• Selected by the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) as a
“High Performance Prosecution Agency Model Site.” MCAO will
serve as a model for other prosecution agencies under the High
Performance Prosecution Agency Framework, developed by the
APA in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance within
the Department of Justice
• Crime reporting PSA series wins prestigious Hermes Creative
Award by the Association of Marketing & Communication
Professionals
• 2013 Courthouse Dog Calendar honored with a 2014 Award of
Excellence from the City-County Communications and
Marketing Association

2014 Accomplishments
• MCAO Deputy County Attorneys Jason Kalish and Mike
Denney named Arizona Felony Prosecutors of the Year by
the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council
(APAAC)
• MCAO Deputy County Attorney Jordyn Raimondo received
APAAC’s Rising Star Prosecutor of the Year award.
• Our prosecutors are regularly invited to train on a national
level and are frequently asked to consult by other agencies
• MCAO is participating in a pilot project with the New York
Prosecutors Training Institute, providing expert testimony
videos and training material for prosecutors across the U.S.
• Cold Case detectives received Grand Jury indictments on 5
cold cases in 2014

Paperless Initiatives
• Ongoing transition to ProsecutorbyKarpel case
management system
• E-Filing capabilities expanded
• High Speed Scanners and desk scanners in use as
another step towards our paperless system
• Microsoft SurfacePro 3 tablets being used in pilot
program by several prosecutors in the office
towards our goal to be a paperless office
• Implemented electronic transmittal system to send
documents to Adult Probation
• Electronic discovery to Public Defender’s Office

Technology Accomplishments
• Credit cards now accepted for Public Records Requests and
Discovery material payments
• Expanded use of Smart Phone capabilities including GPS and
cameras to avoid having to make additional equipment purchases
• Dual monitors available for all employees to allow multi-tasking
between screens
• Enhanced trial support capabilities to provide sophisticated computer
-generated forensic models and exhibits
• MCAO Forensic Specialist created a 3-D model used in the Buddhist Temple murders
retrial
• Two new Forensic Exhibit Specialists recently hired at MCAO. Catyana Falsetti is one
of just 55 full-time forensic artists in the country. Her artwork has been used to
solve many cold cases and has also been featured on television and in
investigations around the country

Challenges
• Increase in F2 and F3 submittals and filings since
2012.
• This increase in serious cases results in:
• Increase in bench and jury trials
• 555 trials in FY 2012
• 545 trials in FY 2013
• 730 trials in FY 2014
• Higher caseloads
• More time to disposition
• Charging backlog
• More stress for prosecutors

Additional Challenges
• Increase in officer body camera use. Attorneys and
paralegals must review and redact these tapes to
ensure sensitive victim information is protected. A
one hour tape takes up to 4 hours to review, redact
and process
• Increased expectations for prosecutors:
• More thorough, front-end research of defendants
including criminal histories is expected
• Discovery redaction responsibilities to ensure
victim privacy
• Advocate contacts with victims (telephonic and walk-
ins) have increased 54% from 2012 to 2014

Additional Challenges
• Ethics rule 3.8 was adopted, adding increased post-
conviction responsibilities for prosecutors
• Unique prosecutor demographic
• Attorney turnover as a whole is down but
involuntary terminations are up because of
increased accountability and stringent training
expectations
• FY 2013 – 45 hired out of 511 applications
• FY 2014 – 45 hired out of 561 applications
• The most qualified attorney candidates come around
only twice a year
• Threats towards prosecutors are increasing
• 2 in 2010 to 35 this year to date

MCAO’s Response to Challenges
• Focused coordination and cooperation with
other criminal justice stake holders
• Expanded diversion
• Community based prosecution
• Filling positions as fast as possible
• Intensive background/interview process
• Robust training program and continuing
education for all staff
• Additional support resources
• Enhanced post-conviction processes to ensure
compliance with E.R. 3.8

Reliable Compensation Plan
The County needs a compensation plan that
provides consistent, reliable increases that rewards
performance and is not longevity based.
Years of static compensation, even as the cost of
living, insurance and retirement contributions have
increased, have been followed by a year or two of
dramatic increases. This feast or famine approach
leads to increased workloads, decreased efficiency
and costly training for new hires.