S/A offices

I'll tell you this much, I am sick and tired of completing the 800 forms and jumping through all the hoops we have to with the 31D cases only to have to victim "change her mind" and the SAO drop the case. Whatever happened to "we will prosecute all Domestic Violence cases regardless of victim cooperation!"???????
I don't know who I am more irritated with, the SAO for dropping the cases or the "victims".
I know this is politically incorrect and every women's group in the country would hang me (I am a woman by the way) for saying this, but at what point do the victims take responsibiluty for themselves?
It sems to me that LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE THE ONLY ONES FULFILLING THEIR RESPONSIBLITIES! And in fact we have created extra steps to insure the victim's safety only to have them "change their minds" and the SAO drop the case.

Really I just needed to vent, thank you all for listeneing!

I'll tell you this much, I am sick and tired of completing the 800 forms and jumping through all the hoops we have to with the 31D cases only to have to victim "change her mind" and the SAO drop the case. Whatever happened to "we will prosecute all Domestic Violence cases regardless of victim cooperation!"???????
I don't know who I am more irritated with, the SAO for dropping the cases or the "victims".
I know this is politically incorrect and every women's group in the country would hang me (I am a woman by the way) for saying this, but at what point do the victims take responsibiluty for themselves?
It sems to me that LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE THE ONLY ONES FULFILLING THEIR RESPONSIBLITIES! And in fact we have created extra steps to insure the victim's safety only to have them "change their minds" and the SAO drop the case.
Really I just needed to vent, thank you all for listeneing!

Maybe if the SAO could get sued for OT doing its job, they would snap to attention and actually get a few "LITIGATORS" rather than Legal Eagles who know less about the law that our cadets.

Even if your case gets filed Judges will throw it out anyway! I just was involved in a good CCF on a 10-62 juvie who admitted to me that the gun was his. I submitted my supplement saying just that. Now the SAO wants me to provide a sworn notarized statement from me! Since when is a police report not good enough? The SAO hopes you won't provide them with all the excess **** they request so when they drop the case they can say it's your fault!

[Been There, Done That]

Even if your case gets filed Judges will throw it out anyway! I just was involved in a good CCF on a 10-62 juvie who admitted to me that the gun was his. I submitted my supplement saying just that. Now the SAO wants me to provide a sworn notarized statement from me! Since when is a police report not good enough? The SAO hopes you won't provide them with all the excess they request so when they drop the case they can say it's your fault!

How is this SA....Sounds like "Good Old Boy" .....any way, if thats what they want, by all means, GIVE IT TO THEM ! ! THis kid needs to be off the streets before he kills someone. I have to agree though....now WE have to submit signed, notarized affidavits IN ADDITION TO our police reports??? Isnt that SPECIAL??? I wonder how the ASA justifies this request? I sure as hell would take offense to sucha request, but I would DO IT just to keep my case moving.

And just WHY are there so many cases that the Sate Attorney can't keep up with them? Because they take a criminal that just commited a serious felony, give them time served in his overnight jail stay, and let them back out. There is NO INCENTIVE in our county not to commit crime. These people just keep getting arrested time and time again and some panty-waist judge gives them some meaningless sentance after they've been found guilty.

It there were no air conditioning in the jails; cable TV restricted to the Court TV channel, real work to be done... there would be a lot less crime. There is an Arizona sheriff who runs a tent city; it's tough and hard... yet he's only got a 6 percent repeat offender rate. In this county, it's probably about 90 percent repeat offender. I arrested a guy one day for DUS HAbitual and fleeing... three days later, I saw him driving again and arrested him for DUS HAbitual. The very next week, I saw the guy driving yet again and caught him with a bunch of crack... I'm waiting to see if he goes driving by me next week.

My point is, if jail is trivial and is made so it is nothing to worry about, then it will be nothing to worry about to these criminals.

I'm not trying to be a jerk....so don't take this the wrong way...If "all" of your cases are being no filed maybe the problem is not with the S/A's office...and again I'm being serious...a lot of the time officer's put together poorly written PC affidavits...and that is generally all the S/A has to work with...sometimes all the elements of the crimes are not even in the PC's and that is a real problem...and also you should try calling the state attorney on your cases that you want filed...not always but sometimes if you make the call to them they will reconsider and I have personally had them file a case they were originally going to no file because of the call I made...however be prepared they are probably going to ask for some kind of additional information like another statement or something we think is stupid but they want it for some reason or another...and don't think that I don't agree that they no file some cases that should be filed I'm just tryiing to constructively help...

When I was an FTO, I was always amazed at the lack of clarity, spelling, essential requirements of FSS that were left out in PC affadavits and yet they wondered why I made them rewrite the PC's. Then they go out on their own, know everything, put together cases, bad arrests and still they are shocked when they are no filed. Bashing ANY OTHER prosecutor who gets YOUR WORK PRODUCT, especially when it is poorly conveyed in writing, for not filing the case or taking it to trial is absurd. Plea deals are and will always be a part of the system. It saves $$$$ in the long run, it takes the offender off the street or places some type of control on them. Bashing the SAO is childish. Something that seems to be prevalent here.

So you USED to be an FTO ? Well if the report and PC's are bad, how do you "pass" the trainees into the next phase?? YOU signed the paper work dude. Its seems they should be recyced if its not up to par......and your post reads like it all OUR fault that so many cases get no filed and plea deals are made.....You can have a GREAT case with a confesion and that junk goes on.....so if you used to be an FTO, who do you work for now???? Sounds like the Public Defenders Office.

So you USED to be an FTO huh???? Well if the report and PC's are bad, how do you "pass" the trainees into the next phase?? YOU signed the paper work dude. Its seems they should be recycled if its not up to par......and your post reads like it all OUR fault that so many cases get no filed plea deals are made.....You can have a GREAT case with a confession and that junk goes on.....so if you used to be an FTO, who do you work for now???? SOunds like the Public Defenders Office.

You have to be kidding. You just proved the point that the prior poster was making. If your post is any indication of the pride you take in your work, you should not be surprised that your cases are dumped. What is really scary is beyond the obvious fact that you have no writing skills whatsoever, your comprehension skills are also lacking. The other FTO stated that he made the trainee redo the report if it was not acceptable. I believe the point he was trying to get across was the fact that once these trainees are released, they revert back to a different standard than the one that they were held to in training. As a Detective, I have the occassion to review many reports submitted by road deputies. You would be amazed at the garbage that comes across my desk, then again, you would probably think that they were literary masterpieces. As for the SAO "No-Filing" cases or coming up with plea bargins that do not meet with your approval, that's just too bad for you. You obviously have no comprehension as to how the judicial system works or are fairly new to law enforcement. If you are a veteran, please don't ever try and help new deputies understand the way things are. You will only poison them. Best of luck to you in your career aspirations. That may be a big word for you...you might want to look it up.

So you USED to be an FTO huh???? Well if the reporta and PC's are bad, how do you "pass" the trainees into the next phase?? YOU signed the pperework dude. Its seems they should be recyced if its not up to par......and your psot reads like it all OUR fault that so many cases get no filed anchicken-crap plea deals are made.....You can have a GREAT case witha confesion and that junk goes on.....so if you used to be an FTO, who do you work for now???? SOunds like the Public Defenders Office.

As an FTO I've been ignoring this statement, but it's killing me. Who ever you are...please don't attempt to make someone else look bad. Your typing skills are the worst i've ever seen! You have some serious issues. I would be embarrassed to be you.
Now, buisness is business. You get a (2) for FTO Relationship, a (1) for Decision Making, and a (1) for Report Writing-Neatness/Spelling/Grammar.
You are hearby extended another week.

So you USED to be an FTO ? Well if the reporta and PC's are bad, how do you "pass" the trainees into the next phase?? YOU signed the pperework dude. Its seems they should be recyced if its not up to par......and your psot reads like it all OUR fault that so many cases get no filed and plea deals are made.....You can have a GREAT case with a confession and that junk goes on.....so if you used to be an FTO, who do you work for now???? SOunds like the Public Defenders Office.

How the did YOU get out of FTO? I didnt PASS anyone, but that is not the point now is it? Since we all KNOW that there are those who are annointed and PASS despite the FACT that they have no people skills, no writing skills and no LAW ENFORCEMENT SKILLS. It is YOUR fault that bad cases get no filed. If it were a GOOD CASE, then they couldnt dump it like garbage now could they? Now, the issue may be the difference between what you THINK is a good case as opposed to what they KNOW is a garbage case, perception is reality, for you and for them. Their reality is the one that counts. I would suggest that YOU improve YOUR work product and stop whining like some five year old who needs a nap and enforce the laws properly, document what you have done, why you did it and why you believe that PC exists for the arrest and subsequent prosecution of the individual that YOU arrested. That would be an excellent place to begin. Since I was an FTO for more than 5 years, since I was a DETECTIVE for more than 8 years and since I had to READ the GARBAGE reports and pathetic PCs from some (a minority to be sure) of the people I worked with, I KNOW for a FACT that poor cases get jettisoned because of POOR WORK PRODUCT. In 23 years, I think I had 3 no filed, and yes, they WERE my FAULT. Missing elements, failure to document them, insuffiecient witnesses etc. As long as your letter says that you had PC for the arrest, then YOU are covered. I NEVER lost a Homicide Case, ever, because I learned HOW to do it throughly and correctly. You should do the same