MECKLENBURG MECKLENBURG COUNTY Criminal COUNTY Criminal Justice SystemJustice System

Homicide Task ForceHomicide Task Force

March 24, 2006March 24, 2006

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

• Overview of criminal justice systemOverview of criminal justice system– System componentsSystem components– StaffingStaffing– FundingFunding– Case loadCase load

• Challenges and opportunities for Challenges and opportunities for growthgrowth

Criminal Justice System Criminal Justice System ComponentsComponents

• Law Enforcement AgenciesLaw Enforcement Agencies

• Court AgenciesCourt Agencies– JudgesJudges– Clerk’s OfficeClerk’s Office– Public Defender’s OfficePublic Defender’s Office– District Attorney’s OfficeDistrict Attorney’s Office

• District Court – Misdemeanor / TrafficDistrict Court – Misdemeanor / Traffic

• Superior Court – FeloniesSuperior Court – Felonies

Sworn Law Enforcement in Sworn Law Enforcement in Mecklenburg CountyMecklenburg County

• CMPD 1557CMPD 1557

• MCSO 325MCSO 325

• ABC 12ABC 12

• ALE 15ALE 15

• CMS (School) 16CMS (School) 16

• Cornelius PD 37Cornelius PD 37

• DMV (License & Theft) 20DMV (License & Theft) 20

• Davidson PD 18Davidson PD 18

• Huntersville PD 60Huntersville PD 60

• Johnson C. Smith 6Johnson C. Smith 6• Matthews PD 55Matthews PD 55• Metro Special Police 5Metro Special Police 5• Mint Hill PD 25Mint Hill PD 25• Pineville PD 37Pineville PD 37• SBI 25SBI 25• SHP 33SHP 33• UNCCUNCC 31 31

Total Sworn Law Total Sworn Law Enforcement: 2277 Enforcement: 2277

FY06 Funding FY06 Funding

Char-Meck Police Department: $155.7 Char-Meck Police Department: $155.7 MillionMillion

Meck. County Sheriff’s Office: $84.6 Meck. County Sheriff’s Office: $84.6 MillionMillion

Offenses Reported to CMPD Offenses Reported to CMPD 20052005

• Total Offenses Reported Total Offenses Reported 54,84454,844– Homicide Homicide 8585– Robbery Robbery 3,6493,649– Burglary Burglary 12,78312,783– Vehicle Theft Vehicle Theft 7,0987,098

• Total Arrests by CMPD Total Arrests by CMPD 26,74126,741

Caseload and StaffingCaseload and Staffing• Misdemeanor / Traffic Filings – Approx. 190,000Misdemeanor / Traffic Filings – Approx. 190,000

• Felony Filings – Approx. 8,000Felony Filings – Approx. 8,000

• Clerk’s Office – Criminal DivisionClerk’s Office – Criminal Division

• Magistrates – CriminalMagistrates – Criminal

• District Court Judges District Court Judges

• Superior Court Judges Superior Court Judges

• Public DefenderPublic Defender

• District Attorney 36 (Permanent State Funded)District Attorney 36 (Permanent State Funded)

+16 (County Funded , Other)+16 (County Funded , Other)

5252

District Attorney Liaison UnitDistrict Attorney Liaison Unit

1 Sergeant and 6 Detectives1 Sergeant and 6 Detectives• Manage 800+ cases per monthManage 800+ cases per month

• Serve 1600+ subpoenas per monthServe 1600+ subpoenas per month

• Locate victims/witnesses in and out of stateLocate victims/witnesses in and out of state

• Assist ADA’s with trial exhibits/presentationsAssist ADA’s with trial exhibits/presentations

• Investigate criminal casesInvestigate criminal cases - - perjury, “warrant no perjury, “warrant no issue”issue”

• Handle Interstate CompactsHandle Interstate Compacts

• Oversee about 250 Grand Jury cases weeklyOversee about 250 Grand Jury cases weekly

• Oversee Citizen’s Parole Accountability Oversee Citizen’s Parole Accountability CommitteeCommittee

State OverviewState Overview

State OverviewState Overview

North Carolina ranks TOP in the North Carolina ranks TOP in the following categories:following categories:– 1st1st in the number of criminal filings per in the number of criminal filings per

100,000 population100,000 population

– 2nd2nd in the gross number of criminal in the gross number of criminal filingsfilings

– 6th6th in number of felony filings in number of felony filings

– 10th10th in overall number of court system in overall number of court system filingsfilings

National Rankings

State OverviewState Overview

• Judicial Branch received $342,924,393 Judicial Branch received $342,924,393 or 1.90% of the General Fund in FY 06or 1.90% of the General Fund in FY 06

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Mecklenburg County Mecklenburg County OverviewOverview

County OverviewCounty Overview

• Mecklenburg has 9% of the NC population Mecklenburg has 9% of the NC population and processes 9% of all court cases and processes 9% of all court cases

• Mecklenburg logs 20% of Violent Index Mecklenburg logs 20% of Violent Index Crime and 15% of Property Index CrimeCrime and 15% of Property Index Crime

• At the same time, Mecklenburg receives At the same time, Mecklenburg receives 6.7% of the Judicial Branch budget6.7% of the Judicial Branch budget

County OverviewCounty Overview

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State Mecklenburg

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• The County spends more than twice as much to The County spends more than twice as much to house pretrial prisoners as the State does to house pretrial prisoners as the State does to support the criminal courts in Mecklenburg County support the criminal courts in Mecklenburg County

Criminal Justice Criminal Justice System ChallengesSystem Challenges

County ChallengesCounty Challenges

• District CourtsDistrict Courts – – 66– Administrative 2– Trial 4

• Total Trial Days– Total Trial Days– 936 936

• Superior CourtsSuperior Courts – – 44

1 Probation 1 Probation Hearings/MisdemeanHearings/Misdemeanor Appeals or Appeals

1 Administrative1 Administrative

2 Felony Trials2 Felony Trials

Total – 912 Total – 912 Superior Court Days Superior Court Days

Criminal Criminal CourtsCourts

Mecklenburg County Impact - Mecklenburg County Impact - TechnologyTechnology

• Judges do not have access to critical Judges do not have access to critical information to make informed decisionsinformation to make informed decisions– Lack access to information on continuances, Lack access to information on continuances,

failures to appear, subpoenas, and paymentsfailures to appear, subpoenas, and payments

• Court Administrators do not have access to Court Administrators do not have access to critical information to manage effectivelycritical information to manage effectively– Lack information to organize dockets and Lack information to organize dockets and

measure performancemeasure performance

• Duplication of effort is common placeDuplication of effort is common place• Paper process leads to delay, errors and Paper process leads to delay, errors and

lost informationlost information

Mecklenburg County Mecklenburg County ImpactImpact• Staff Turnover resulting from non-Staff Turnover resulting from non-

competitive salaries:competitive salaries:

– In 2005, the staff turnover percentage In 2005, the staff turnover percentage for Superior Court, District Court and for Superior Court, District Court and Clerk’s Office was at least double the Clerk’s Office was at least double the State averageState average

– 56% of Clerk of the Superior Court 56% of Clerk of the Superior Court employees resign within 5 years employees resign within 5 years

– In FY05, the Clerk’s Office had a 16% In FY05, the Clerk’s Office had a 16% turnover rate turnover rate

5,228,527

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Animal Control DA's Office

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DA Staffing ComparisonDA Staffing Comparison

Charlotte, NCCharlotte, NC Portland, Portland, OrOr

Pop.Pop. 668,003668,003 545,271545,271ADA’sADA’s 5252 86*86*Sup. StaffSup. Staff 3838 132132JudgesJudges 2626 3838Judge asst.Judge asst. 44 3838PD’sPD’s 4040 5050Felony casesFelony casesDisposedDisposed 8,8028,802 6,2876,287* Felony only* Felony only

Mecklenburg County ImpactMecklenburg County Impact

– In 2005, DA staff In 2005, DA staff turnover was 8% turnover was 8% higher than the state higher than the state averageaverage

– The DA’s office has The DA’s office has lost 53 Assistant lost 53 Assistant District Attorneys in District Attorneys in the last 5 yearsthe last 5 years

A Picture is Worth A Picture is Worth a Thousand Wordsa Thousand Words

Challenges to the Criminal Challenges to the Criminal Justice System Justice System

• Inadequate Staffing LevelsInadequate Staffing Levels

• Staff TurnoverStaff Turnover

• Inadequate Court Information SystemInadequate Court Information System

• Out-Dated PCsOut-Dated PCs

• Paperbound SystemPaperbound System

• Overloaded Telephone SystemOverloaded Telephone System

• Limited Case Preparation TimeLimited Case Preparation Time

• Limited Court TimeLimited Court Time

Funding SourcesFunding Sources

State LegislatureState Legislature

County CommissionCounty Commission

City CouncilCity Council

MECKLENBURG COUNTY MECKLENBURG COUNTY Criminal Justice SystemCriminal Justice System

Questions