City Officials in San Diego are saying that the crime rate right now is the lowest it has been in 47 years. Violent, as well as property crimes, have dropped and there were almost 1000 less crime victims in 2016 than the prior year. With crime rates and property rates going down lower and lower each year, the officials are saying these rates are more like they were in the 1950s or 1960s.
What does this mean for the justice system in San Diego?
With less crime, that means that there will start to be less cases going through the system. As a criminal defense attorney, the effect can already be seen. Fewer calls and fewer consultations are going around the business. For public defenders it is the exact same thing. The end result would be more time for judges to look into cases and more time for them to read over the paperwork that has been filed.
Is the District Attorney in San Diego still prosecuting as many cases?
The San Diego District Attorney’s office is still prosecuting as many cases as they have in the past. These crime statistics are referring to arrests and not necessarily how many cases are filed. The District Attorney’s office this last week has ran into some problems of its own. Someone in their office released statistics that shows that their conviction rate on felonies that go to trial is only around 60% and it was even lower on misdemeanors. Critics of the office had said that it may be because the District Attorney’s are taking cases to trial that 1) should have been settled or 2) were just for experience.
There is a buzz going around San Diego wondering whether or not things will change but it seems like instead of acknowledging that some of these people were innocent, the office has said that they want to re-evaluate how those cases were handled, indicating that they believe a guilty person went free.
With all the changes in the justice system in San Diego it is unpredictable what the future may be. However, even with everything going on, that does not mean that the judges are taking these cases lightly. Currently we have been seeing some of the harshest sentences in years, especially for DUI cases. The penalties for cases like that keep increasing year after year with what seems to have no break in the cycle.
It is of the utmost importance to hire a lawyer at this time if you are charged with a crime. At Ozols Law Firm we offer free consultations to anyone who has been arrested and need help with their case.
Ozols Law Firm
8880 Rio San Diego Dr. #22
San Diego, CA
92108
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