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Pinal County attorney tells Florence council prosecutions rising for assault and drug cases; no local homicide prosecutions in three years
Summary
Pinal County Attorney Bridal Miller told the Florence Town Council that prosecutions have shifted toward holding violent offenders accountable, citing zero homicide prosecutions in Florence over three years, a rise in aggravated assault filings and targeted drug enforcement changes.
PINAL COUNTY ATTORNEY BRIDAL MILLER briefed the Florence Town Council on May 19 on prosecution trends affecting the town, saying the county under his administration has pursued more aggressive felony charging for violent crimes while targeting dangerous drugs and trafficking.
Miller said Florence recorded zero homicide prosecutions over the past three years and noted an increase in aggravated-assault prosecutions, which he attributed to a deliberate change in charging policy. "We are sending a message that violence in Florence, whether in the community or inside the correctional facilities, will not be tolerated," Miller said.
Miller presented incident counts for 20232025, saying prosecutions rose from 171 incidents in 2023 to 282 in 2025. He said prison-related incidents accounted for roughly 40% of the town's criminal charges and that community-based assaults made up an increased share of neighborhood crime. Miller also described a shift in drug enforcement: after 11 narcotics-related charges in 2023, the county filed 32 in 2024 and 18 in 2025, and his office has emphasized targeting methamphetamine trafficking and more serious possession-for-sale cases rather than volume arrests.
Responding to council questions, Miller said his office will continue to prosecute correctional-facility assaults; he mentioned seeking the death penalty in a recent inmate-on-inmate case but emphasized that many rising numbers reflect stepped-up enforcement rather than uncontrolled crime. "Sometimes numbers that rise, I think, are a good thing," he said, adding the rise can reflect better detection and stricter charging.
Council members thanked Miller for the briefing and discussed the broader context of corrections-related crime and community safety. Miller said he will release a public version of his presentation to accompany the data he provided to council.
The council did not take action on the presentation itself. The town manager and county attorney said the presentation materials will be made available on the county or town website for residents who want to review the underlying statistics.
