Did you Know?

Missoula County Attorney (MT) Kirsten Pabst shares a questionnaire with prosecutors to aid in end-of-the-year reflection.

Frederick J. Watts
11/28/1957 – 12/23/2021

Fred Watts, a member of PCE’s Board of Directors, died on December 23, 2021.  Shortly before his death he retired as the Executive Director of the New York City Police Athletic League that serves 20,000 New York City youth. Prior to that he was the Executive Assistant District Attorney in Charge of Finance and Administration at the New York County District Attorney’s Office (Manhattan).  Fred was highly respected as a prosecutor, community leader, friend and family man. He served PCE with his exceptional judgement, intelligence and decency.  He is deeply missed. Obituary.

To increase transparency and inform the public about the criminal justice system, prosecutor offices have developed data dashboards. The comprehensive public data and resources provide a detailed view of the role of the prosecutor.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office in Oakland, California spearheaded the Justice Restoration Project (ACJRP) for felony offenders to reduce recidivism by providing peer support and resources to offenders.

Prosecutors are facing a growing backlog at every stage of a prosecution, including in forensic laboratories. Reducing the backlog will require new thinking and new approaches. The backlog has also increased the pressure to try cases during the pandemic.

With input from prosecutors around the country, PCE has collected suggestions for addressing the backlog and trying cases during the pandemic.

Prosecutor offices across the country are enlisting the help of trained courthouse facility dogs to provide comfort and support to vulnerable witnesses and victims throughout various stages of the criminal justice process. These dogs undergo at least a two-year training period and are specifically bred to detect a person’s stress level.

Robert M. Morgenthau was the District Attorney of New York County (Manhattan) from 1975 to 2010.  He was legendary for his intelligence, integrity and courage.  He was ahead of his time and led the way for today’s modern prosecutors. 

In honor of what would have been his 101 birthday today, learn about his early innovations here (1 minute).

Domestic violence is a social, economic, and public health concern that impacts men, women and children and can perpetuate negative effects across generations. To better address this serious issue, this guide provides strategies to prosecutors that increase victim safety and offender accountability and includes information on multi-agency collaborations and co-located service models such as family justice centers. Read

Issued on June 19, 2020: The killing of George Floyd by police is a tragic and disturbing event that is a call to action for those in the criminal justice system. The protests and outrage are in almost every corner of our nation and worldwide. The injustice and inequality in our society is well known and cannot be ignored. It is clear that we must do better.

Human trafficking is the second most profitable criminal industry behind the drug trade, estimated by the International Labor Organization to be a $150 billion industry worldwide. To better equip prosecutors to address this devastating crime, the National District Attorneys Association’s Women Prosecutors Section developed a National Human Trafficking Prosecution Best Practices Guide. The guide provides an overview of sex trafficking and labor trafficking, various state and federal trafficking laws, working with victims, the investigative process, and more. Read