COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY DESCRIPTION The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney prosecutes criminal offenses in the City of Suffolk. The Office prosecutes cases in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, the General District Court, and the Circuit Court. It also prepares briefs for the Virginia Court of Appeals and the Virginia Supreme Court. In addition, the Office investigates cases and advises other City law enforcement personnel during investigations as to the substance and procedure of the criminal law. The Office also issues opinions on conflict of interest matters and is responsible for the collection of unpaid fines and court costs. In addition to prosecuting felony cases, the Office also prosecutes all misdemeanor cases in which a crime victim requests assistance, all drunk driving cases, certain domestic violence cases, all crimes that occur in schools, and all misdemeanor and traffic appeals to Circuit Court including violations of local ordinances. CITY COUNCIL TARGET AREA Public Safety
FY 23 OBJECTIVES Establish pre-trial services and a mental health docket. Prosecute environmental crimes and use proceeds to establish an environmental crimes fund to deter environmental crimes, offset environmental cleanup costs, and provide public education on maintaining a Green Suffolk. Promote community outreach and awareness and crime prevention by attending and/or hosting 100 community events. Prosecute intimate partner violence which results in charges of domestic violence, stalking, violation of protective/court orders, and strangulation. Provide over 24 hours of training to police officers, fire and rescue, and other law enforcement agency personnel. Attain a 95% approval rating or higher from victims and witnesses involved in cases assigned by the office staff.
PERFORMANCE MEASURES
FY 21 Actual Number of circuit court defendants prosecuted 463 Number of circuit court indictments prosecuted 1,186 Number of victims and witnesses assisted 3,502 Community Outreach events attended 45 Hours of instruction provided to local law enforcement 16
FY 22 Projected 479 1,222 3,652 100 24
FY 23 Estimated 495 1,258 3,806 120 30
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