ANTHONY V. PIERRO SUPERVISING ASSISTANT PROSECUTOR OCEAN COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY
ANTHONY V. PIERRO SUPERVISING ASSISTANT
PROSECUTOR
OCEAN COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY
The Prosecutor’s Perspective
And Now you want us to work Together?
LEGISLATIVE
BRANCH JUDICIAL BRANCH
SUPREME COURT
ADMINISTRATIVE
OFFICE OF THE
COURTS
PROBATION
SERVICES
FAMILY
PRACTICE
NJ SUPERIOR COURTS
(15 LOCAL VICINAGES)
TRIAL COURT
ADMINISTRATOR
ASSIGNMENT
JUDGE
CHIEF PROBATION
OFFICER
FAMILY DIVISION
MANAGER
ASST. CHIEF
PROBATION OFFICER
(Juvenile)
JUDGES
INTAKE OFFICERS
(Risk Screening Tool)
NJ JDAI
STRUCTURE
OTHER INVOLVED KEY ACTORS
•NJ Office Of Public Defender
•NJ Dept. Of Children & Families
•County Prosecutors’ Offices
•Local Police Departments
•NJ Dept. of Education
•Local Schools
•Community Providers
•Social Justice & Youth Advocacy
Organizations
Research &
Evaluation
Youth Services
Commission Grants
Management
Detention
Monitoring
Court Liaisons
JJDP/Grants Unit
State Advisory
Group
State JDAI
Collaborative
(NJ CJJSI)
Local JDAI
Collaboratives
(County CJJSI)
ASST. FAMILY
DIVISION MGR
(Juvenile)
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
GOVERNOR
ATTORNEY
GENERAL
JUVENILE JUSTICE
COMISSION
COUNTY
GOVERNMENT
COUNTY YOUTH
SERVICES
COMMISSIONS
DETENTION
CENTERS
OFFICE OF LOCAL
PROGRAMS &
SERVICES
JDAI Research &
Reform
Specialists
Prosecutor’s Perspective (Incredibly Important)
Prosecutors are responsible for everything
that happens in Court
Prosecutors are responsible for public safety
and accountability
Prosecutors must represent the community in
the Courtroom and beyond
Prosecutors are responsible for the system Prosecutor’s role is to seek justice, not merely convict
Prosecutor’s Perspective (Still Incredibly Important)
Prosecutors have tremendous control over critical juvenile justice issues
DETENTION UTILIZATION Prosecutors control the plea offer
CASE PROCESSING Prosecutors control discovery/evidence/victim input
CASE SCREENING Prosecutors have the ability to dismiss/divert to a greater degree than any other player in the system
THE POLICE/COMMUNITY Prosecutors are Ambassadors to the Community and to Law Enforcement
Examples From Around the Nation
Standards for Juvenile Prosecutors
Risk Screening Tools/Risk Assessments
Probation Response Grids/Violations
Diversion Programs/Specialty Courts
Standards for Juvenile Prosecutors should be
established Nationally and in every State
JPLN (Juvenile Prosecutor’s Leadership Network)
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Texas
Virginia
Risk Screening Tools
New Jersey’s RST is a single statewide
instrument which determines a juvenile’s
placement at the time of arrest
Approved by the New Jersey Supreme Court
Prosecutors played a key role in the
development of a tool that would be accepted
statewide
Probation Sanctions Grid (What is really important to us?)
Arrests
Drugs
Evaluations
Services
Diversion Programs/Specialty Courts
Identify delinquency situations that can be handled without formal arrest
Stationhouse Adjustment programs
Treatment should not depend upon an adjudication of delinquency or a term of probation
Weekend programs (Seattle, Washington)
Develop specialty courts for target populations (California, Texas, New Jersey)
All of these programs were Prosecutor created/supported or organized
However . . .
Prosecutor’s Perspective (Bad things happen)
The impact of juvenile crime on victims
and/or the community
Accountability is an important goal of the
juvenile justice system
Well balanced approach that incorporates
incarceration/transfer as a tool of the system
Questions