COM 0140.002 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Unique demands placed upon the legal clerical staff- time constraints, ever- increasing court requirements, and the public's and other agencies' demands for more services done in less time - continue to strain the unit. Over the past several years there has been a significant increase in the volume of cases, without a corresponding increase in clerical staff. They continue to work diligently to handle the volume, however, the current level of staffing does not provide for spikes in workload or coverage. This ongoing situation affects morale, accuracy and efficiency. It also affects our ability to retain and recruit staff. In addition to doing traditional legal work, the clerical staff is responsible for input and update of case information to the Office's File Access Case Tracking System (FACTS). FACTS is utilized by staff as well as by Police, Public Safety and some branches of the Judiciary. An average of 360 to 400 new charges are input weekly once cases are referred from the Police Department or when defendants are detained pending arraignment. Traffic citations are not generally input into the system until the offender elects to go to trial. This then requires input to the case tracking system and additional processing, including creation of case files, processing of discovery, and issuing subpoenas to witnesses. Throughout, computer tracking input must be done to document the status, file location, and calendar disposition of each case. As Hawaii County's economy has declined, an increasing number of defendants have been unable to make restitution payments, pay fines or do required community service. This results in their returning to District Court prompting further tracking by our clerical staff. The increase in contempt of court charges, domestic abuse cases, and defendants requesting legal counsel also requires additional processing by legal clerks. It has been difficult for our Kona clerical staff to keep up with the rising number of cases, and over the past three years we have shifted work to the Hilo office to provide assistance. Through active recruitment by our Volunteer Services Coordinator, we have utilized volunteers to provide much needed assistance. While their assistance is greatly appreciated, the general short-term nature and constant training required places additional demands on the staff. Our office is the largest litigation office in Hawaii County. We are proud of our clerical staffs professionalism and the contribution they make to our litigation efforts. Along with the other support units, the clerical staff provide quality legal services to the public. SPECIAL PROJECTS In an effort to proactively address public safety issues and improve the criminal justice system in the County of Hawaii, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney has been actively involved in several initiatives that include: Drug Court, Balanced and Restorative Justice, and Victim -Offender Mediation. In addition the Office has implemented the Community Oriented Prosecution, Community Empowerment 13