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District attorney's office reports more than 400-case review backlog, support-staff typing backlog
Summary
A representative of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office told the commission the local office has a backlog of more than 400 cases pending DA review and over 300 cases waiting to be typed; overtime and countywide DA assistance are being used to reduce the backlog.
A representative of the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office told the Lancaster Criminal Justice Commission the local branch is working through a significant backlog of cases. The presenter said more than 400 cases need review by prosecutors in the eCER electronic charge-evaluation system and that over 300 cases are waiting to be typed by support staff.
The speaker said the backlog traces in part to staffing losses during the prior administration and that the new district attorney, D.A. Hochman, has directed extra weekend work; prosecutors from other county branches are assisting and some support staff overtime has been requested to reduce the queue.
The presenter provided examples of felony filing activity for January and February: arson (one filing in January), auto theft (four felony filings in January, seven in February), burglaries (six filings in January, eight in February), felony assault filings (16 in January, six in February) and illegal firearms filings (18 in January, nine in February). The office also reported that declines (cases not filed) occurred in numerous categories and that some increases in filings reflect work catching up from the backlog rather than changes in underlying crime rates.
The DA representative noted the office is prioritizing custody and more serious cases while trying to process lower-level matters; the office cautioned that clearing the backlog will increase filings and create additional pressure on already short-staffed court operations.
Ending: commissioners expressed support for the office's efforts and offered assistance, and the DA representative said the office will continue work to reduce the backlog and return with further statistics as available.
