Forensic Triage: A Guide for Prosecutors

Authors: PCE, NRTAC

As the demand for forensic evidence has exploded, so has the pressure on crime laboratories to keep pace with an ever-growing workload. This paper, developed by PCE’s Executive Director Kristine Hamann and St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office Chief of Trials Rachel Smith, addresses the critical question of how best to maximize the resources of a public forensic laboratory. This question is explored in three different parts, each with an emphasis on the prosecutor’s perspective:

The Problem:  According to a 2019 article from the Department of Education, over seven million (or one in six students) missed 15 or more days of school in the 2015-2016 school year. The highest rates of absenteeism occurred at the high school level, where chronically absent students also represent those most likely to drop out. Dropping out of high school has been linked to poor outcomes in adulthood, from poverty and diminished health to involvement in the criminal justice system.

Author(s): Kristine Hamann and Rachel Smith

Technology is expanding, evolving, and improving at an explosive rate. Society, including law enforcement, is struggling to keep pace with these seemingly daily developments. This paper addresses facial recognition technology used by law enforcement to enhance surveillance capabilities and the associated legal issues it raises.

The Pima County Attorney’s Office in Arizona has established a volunteer program for members of the community interested in assisting crime victims and people in crisis. The vetting and training process for victim advocate volunteers is very thorough to ensure high quality candidates are selected and are committed to long-term volunteer service.  The Victim Services Division currently has close to 100 volunteers, some of whom have served for decades.

According to the National Center on Aging, approximately one in ten Americans over age 60 has experienced some form of elder abuse. Furthermore, financial exploitation of seniors costs between $2.9 billion and $36.5 billion annually.

The PCE Policy Library is a collection of news articles, reports, research papers, law review articles, and other documents on topic areas of interest to prosecutors. These topics address criminal justice issues— such as reform initiatives, drugs, emerging technology and policing practices—but also include information on prosecutor ethics, accomplishments, and community programs. For those of you who receive the PCE Articles of Interest series, the Library serves as a repository of those articles.

Prosecutors across the nation face challenging questions regarding their role in reducing the fatal consequences of the opioid epidemic. In order to help address these questions, the National District Attorney’s Association (NDAA) created an Opioids Working Group to research and propose effective policy for prosecuting and diverting overdose related cases. The practices identified in the working group in the areas of enforcement, prevention, and treatment are provided in a white paper.

Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office (Long Beach, CA)

Population: 462,628 | Number of Full-Time Prosecutors: 17 | Contact Information

To address chronic problems related to mental health, homelessness, and recidivism, the Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office partnered with Laserfiche, a private company, to develop an app that law enforcement officers can use on patrol to access critical information such as warrants, stay away court orders, probation, or parole or diversion status.

Office of the State Attorney of the Fourth Judicial Circuit (Jacksonville, FL)

Population: 1,265,632 | Number of Full-Time Prosecutors: 110 | Contact Information

The Fourth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office (SAO) is using a multifaceted approach to combat increased gang violence. Under an Innovative Prosecution Solutions grant, the SAO is strengthening its Targeted Prosecution Unit to promote evidence-based prosecution and develop a strategic plan to address gang violence through prevention, intervention, and correction.

Office of the Prosecuting Attorney (Hawaii County, HI)

Population: 201,513 | Number of Full-Time Prosecutors: 34 | Contact Information

In order to address the growing problem of witness intimidation and a lack of repeat offender management, the Hawaii County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney (OPA) used grant funding from Innovative Prosecution Solutions to create a Coordinated Community Response Task Force (CCR) comprised of criminal justice organizations and intensified support service providers.