Montgomery County Office Of The District Attorney Announces 98% Conviction Rate Among Highlights Of 2013 Annual Report

NORRISTOWN, Pa., Aug. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman released the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office 2013 Annual Report to share with the public the significant initiatives and accomplishments made during the midway point of her second term as Montgomery County's top prosecutor. Highlights of the Report include an overall 98 percent conviction rate, a continued focus on protecting the community's most vulnerable citizens – children and the elderly – and establishing a series of best practices, which were designed to improve accuracy, integrity and accountability in criminal investigations.  

Since assuming office in January 2008, Ferman set strategic goals that the Office continues to meet year after year. These goals include:

• Maintaining the DA's Office's strong conviction rate while focusing on the integrity of investigations;
• Improving efficiency to reduce overall budget costs;
• Protecting children from abuse, in all its forms, by improving the criminal justice process and how it investigates and prosecutes child abuse cases;
• Developing and implementing evidence-based best practices to ensure integrity, improve accuracy and protect the interests of all citizens – from crime victims to those suspected of or charged with crimes;
• Dedicating resources to diversionary programs, which offer meaningful rehabilitative programs and restorative justice to crime victims;
• Conducting extensive community outreach, community service hours and crime prevention programs.

"The DA's Office is a dedicated group of law enforcement professionals who work tirelessly to protect our community and to ensure that justice is served in every case. As prosecutors, our role is to serve as ministers of justice, protecting the rights of all people while holding those who violate the law accountable for their actions. Our strong record in 2013 is consistent with the history of this office. I am deeply proud of the men and women with whom I have the privilege of working every day to keep our community safe," said DA Ferman.

Additional highlights of the Office's success in 2013 include:

I. EFFECTIVELY PROSECUTED CRIME BY ACHIEVING AN OVERALL 98 PERCENT CONVICTION RATE

In 2013, the Office achieved an overall criminal conviction rate of 98 percent. During Ferman's tenure, the Office has prosecuted a total of 58,453 cases to a final disposition and maintained a 98 percent overall conviction rate.

The Office brought 9,051 adult and juvenile cases to a final disposition in 2013 (compared to 9,017 cases in 2012).  Montgomery County prosecutors achieved a jury trial conviction rate of 89 percent in 2013 and a bench trial conviction rate of 79 percent; leading to an overall 82 percent trial conviction rate in adult cases. Of significance, Montgomery County prosecutors tried more cases in 2013 than any time in the last decade.

II. SUCCESSFUL INVESTIGATION OF EVERY HOMICIDE THAT OCCURRED WITHIN THE COUNTY AND SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTION OF EVERY HOMICIDE CASE CALLED TO TRIAL IN 2013

In 2013, 14 cases – charging various degrees of homicide – were called to trial (compared to 10 such cases in 2012).  Every homicide case called to trial in 2013 resulted in a conviction, through trial or plea, against the defendant.

There were three First Degree Murder convictions, one Conspiracy to Commit Murder conviction, six Third-Degree Murder convictions, and four Homicide by Vehicle convictions (one of which involved two victims).

III. CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH EXTENSIVE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PUBLIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS

DA Ferman strongly believes that community outreach and education is a cornerstone of effective law enforcement.  As such, the Office has developed educational outreach programs to provide information about the dangers our residents may face, how to prevent crime and how to keep our families safe.  

Presentations are conducted by experienced law-enforcement personnel and often include multimedia content.  Program topics include safe teen driving (for teens and parents), domestic violence education, identity theft protection, Internet/school safety for children, gang prevention, cyber-bullying and teen "sexting".  While all programs have been well-received by the public, there is a particularly high demand for the teen driving presentation – featuring "Jessica's Story," a documentary produced jointly by Action News 6ABC and the DA's Office.

IV. CONTINUED TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE AND SECURE

The Office maintained its focus on protecting children from harm in 2013 by extensively using the resources of Mission Kids Child Advocacy Center to facilitate multi-disciplinary team investigations of child abuse, as well as conducting community outreach programs designed to educate students, parents and educators about child abuse awareness.  

Mission Kids is a nationally accredited, state-of-the-art, child-friendly child advocacy center where prosecutors, police officers, forensic interviewers and advocates work together as a team to interview children who are the victims of crime. This multi-disciplinary team investigative approach improves the quality of investigations and minimizes the negative impact of the investigative process on children.  In 2013, more than 400 forensic interviews were conducted at Mission Kids. As a result of these interviews, child abusers have been convicted for their crimes and brought to justice and, most importantly, child victims and their non-offending care-givers have received the critical medical and mental health support they need to heal.

V. DIVERSIONARY COURTS

Diversionary Courts are a critical tool in addressing the root causes of criminal behavior and focusing on rehabilitation of offenders. For first time, non-violent offenders, the DA's Office utilizes an Alternative Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program that highlights rehabilitation and restorative justice. In 2013, 1798 cases received ARD.

Other successful criminal justice programs in which the DA's office is an active participant include Drug Treatment Court, Behavioral Health Court and Veterans' Treatment Court, all of which create a path to justice that makes smart use of the limited resources of county government, promotes accountability and rehabilitation to help offenders move onto positive, productive paths in their lives while accepting responsibility for their actions.

VI. REDUCED OVERALL COUNTY BUDGET COSTS BY MORE THAN $350,000

The DA's Office actively sought to decrease budget costs in 2013 by implementing various administrative measures designed to maintain productivity in the Office and lessen the overall financial burden upon Montgomery County residents. In general, every Office-related budget expenditure was systematically reviewed and evaluated with finance personnel to ensure cost efficiency.

VII. CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS PROVIDED MORE THAN 39,000 COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS TO PUBLIC GROUPS AND RELATED ORGANIZATIONS

As part of the disposition of thousands of cases in 2013, the Office was responsible for assigning criminal defendants to provide 39,444 community service hours to various public groups, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies throughout Montgomery County. These community service hours assist organizations with limited resources.

VIII. CONVICTION INTEGRITY AND BEST PRACTICES

As a minister of justice, DA Ferman is committed to working within the law enforcement community and criminal justice system to protect the rights of all who come into contact with the system. As such, she has stepped forward as a statewide leader in the examination and implementation of best practices to protect the integrity and accuracy of criminal investigations and prosecutions.  As a statewide leader, DA Ferman is committed to identifying and implementing scientifically proven, evidence-based best practices to improve accuracy, reduce errors and protect the rights of all individuals – from crime victims to criminal defendants.

In 2013, DA Ferman adopted new countywide, investigative techniques designed to reduce errors and improve accuracy.  These include videotaping police suspect confessions in homicide investigations and blind, sequential photographic arrays for suspect identification. These best practices have been recommended by experts as two key measures to promote conviction integrity.

For more information and to read the full 2013 Report, please visit the Montgomery County District Attorney's website at:

http://www.montcopa.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/1930

About the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office:
The Montgomery County Office of the District Attorney is dedicated to achieving justice and protecting the safety of our community. We fairly investigate, and aggressively prosecute, criminal activity throughout our county. We zealously enforce the law and the rights of crime victims. Our goal is to keep Montgomery County safe and secure by effectively working with the entire law enforcement community. We fight for justice in the courts, seek appropriate punishment for those who commit crimes, provide complete assistance to victims of crime, and offer community-based crime prevention programs to educate the public.

SOURCE Montgomery County Office of the District Attorney