The Role of the City Prosecutor April 30, 2018

OVERVIEW CITY COUNCIL APPOINTS CITY ATTORNEY/CITY PROSECUTOR. ROLE OF CITY COUNCIL PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE STAFFING. PROSECUTE MISDEMEANORS THAT OCCUR WITHIN THE CITY AND HANDLES OTHER MATTERS.

COURT OPERATIONS THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE HANDLES BETWEEN 50 AND 80 CASES PER DAY. THIS IS A LARGER CASELOAD PER PROSECUTOR THAN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE. UP TO 11 COURTROOMS ARE BEING COVERED BY THE PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE. CONVICTION RATES AND JURY TRIALS ARE UP SUBSTANTIALLY FROM PAST YEARS.

CASE FILINGS NEW REFERRALS AND FILINGS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED IN THE LAST YEAR. PROP. 47 CASES ACCOUNT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THIS INCREASE, BUT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, ASSAULTS AND PMC CRIMES HAVE ALSO INCREASED.

MENTAL HEALTH REFERRALS TO MENTAL HEALTH COURT HAVE INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY. MORE THAN 8,000 CASES ARE BEING PROCESSED COUNTYWIDE PASADENA IS HANDLING OVER 250 OF THESE CASES. TREATMENT PROGRAMS ARE IN SHORT SUPPLY COUNTYWIDE. PROSECUTION DIVISION IS ENLISTING THE SERVICES OF GROUPS SUCH AS FLINTRIDGE AND OTHERS TO GET BADLY NEEDED SERVICES TO THOSE AFFECTED BY MENTAL DISORDERS.

TRUANCY PASADENA HAS A HIGH TRUANCY RATE. PROSECUTION DIVISION IS WORKING WITH PUSD TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO THIS GROWING PROBLEM. PARTICIPATE WITH POLICE DEPARTMENT IN SWEEPS. CURRENTLY HANDLES MORE THAN 50 SARB HEARINGS EVERY YEAR. THESE HEARINGS INVOLVE OVER 200 STUDENTS. THIS IS JUST THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

COMMUNITY PROSECUTION CURRENTLY HANDLE OVER 75 PROBLEM PROPERTIES AND LOCATIONS CITYWIDE. NUISANCE CODE VIOLATIONS CRIME INTERVENTION QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES FOR THE COMMUNITY

TRAINING PROVIDE TRAINING TO THE PASADENA POLICE DEPARTMENT ON CRIMINAL LAW ISSUES. PROVIDE TRAINING TO OVER A DOZEN CIVIC GROUPS ON NUMEROUS CRIMINAL LAW ISSUES.

HOMELESS HOMELESSNESS IS AN ISSUE IN EVERY DISTRICT IN THE CITY. THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS NOT A COMPLETE ANSWER. THE PROSECUTION DIVISION IS ENLISTING THE SUPPORT AND HELP OF CITY GROUPS TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE HOUSING, EDUCATION PROGRAMS, JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS, TREATMENT PROGRAMS. IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PASADENA SUPERIOR COURT, SETTING UP A MISDEMEANOR HOMELESS COURT IN PASADENA TO ADDRESS THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE. THIS COURT WILL FOCUS ON TREATMENT AND SUPPORT EFFORTS.

PACE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO HELP ENFORCE OUR MUNICIPAL CODE BY ENSURING PROMPT COMPLIANCE WITH CITATIONS AND MANDATING THAT CORRECTIVE MEASURES ARE TAKEN IMMEDIATELY. UTILIZED AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PROSECUTION, BUT FAILURE TO TAKE CORRECTIVE MEASURES OR COMPLY WITH THE CITATION WILL RESULT IN PROSECUTION.

EXAMPLES SOME OTHER EXAMPLES OF WORK BEING DONE BY THE PROSECUTION DIVISION INCLUDE: SUPPRESSION OF ILLEGAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES. PROSECUTION OF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS SALES, POSSESSION AND USE. DRAFTING A NEW ORDINANCE TO HELP IN ENFORCEMENT. ENFORCEMENT OF VEGETATION CLEARANCE IN HIGH DENSITY FIRE ZONES. PARTNERING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO MODIFY EXISTING ORDINANCES TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE. ADDRESSING TRESPASSING AT THE ROSE BOWL. DRAFTING LOITERING ORDINANCES AIMED AT HOMELESS GROUPINGS THAT INTERFERE WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY AND PROPERTY BEING STORED IN PUBLIC AREAS.