tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368160828091722393.post8639109855132860575..comments2024-03-08T01:54:55.870-05:00Comments on Baltimore Criminal Justice Blogger Page Croyder: In Her Own WordsPage Croyderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13005710168659844334noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368160828091722393.post-60760750584124883162010-09-06T09:14:29.582-04:002010-09-06T09:14:29.582-04:00John, there is a publicly available database of ca...John, there is a publicly available database of cases but it cannot be searched by the public for the purpose of gathering statistics. (See my article "Judicial Information Suppression.") However, Jessamy's office has the ability to search it and to organize and review outcomes.Page Croyderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005710168659844334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368160828091722393.post-1763241342380797422010-09-05T08:48:08.785-04:002010-09-05T08:48:08.785-04:00Paige, is there a publicly available database of c...Paige, is there a publicly available database of cases that come to the SA that shows outcomes?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08546137604851812607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368160828091722393.post-929933798836580332010-09-04T20:44:48.188-04:002010-09-04T20:44:48.188-04:00As I acknowledged, conviction rates are not the en...As I acknowledged, conviction rates are not the end-all-be-all measure of a prosecutor's office. But they are very important indicators of what is happening. Rates that are consistently low suggest either inappropriate charging or prosecutorial ineptness. Rates that are very high, perhaps not enough of a willingness to try (e.g. taking no for an answer from reluctant witnesses.) Without knowing the rates, though, a prosecutor doesn't know whether there may be a problem. And Jessamy charges her own cases. If she is not convicting two-thirds of these cases, she needs to find out why, not ignore it.Page Croyderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13005710168659844334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368160828091722393.post-15028143798976684382010-09-03T18:00:18.120-04:002010-09-03T18:00:18.120-04:00You only need probable cause to charge a case, but...You only need probable cause to charge a case, but then you have to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. If a witness changes stories or admits he lied during the prosecution, which happens all too often with city cases, how on earth are conviction rates meaningful? The job of the prosecutor is to do the right thing and get the best result for the state, that result does not always mean a conviction. Often times our juries do not trust the police and some juries will not convict if you only have the testimony of police and that is a fact. You still charge the case and prosecute it, but half the time the jury won't see it your way no matter how effective you are or the police were. If you gauge effectiveness by conviction rate you encourage weak plea deals and malicious prosecutions for prosecutors who only want the GUILTY and not JUSTICE.Andy, Southern York County Pahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04295416597635633444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5368160828091722393.post-91729151409426466562010-09-02T18:37:56.257-04:002010-09-02T18:37:56.257-04:00I think Margaret Burns every cent of her $102,000!...I think Margaret Burns every cent of her $102,000! Look at the effort she has to make to put a positive spin on all of the States Attorney's Office screw ups! It takes a lot of time and thought to come up with new and novel ways to blame the Police for all of the mistakes or, in the case of the young man that got himself beaten to death a couple of years ago, his widow! JohnAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08546137604851812607noreply@blogger.com