Macomb County Prosecutor Sets Record for Processing Juvenile Petitions

Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office
Contact: Dawn Fraylick, Communications Director
Office: +1 (586) 469-5737 
Cell: +1 (586) 842-4421
Email: Dawn.Fraylick@macombgov.org                        

August 27, 2024

Macomb County Prosecutor Sets Record for Processing Juvenile Petitions

Mount Clemens, MI — The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office has set a new benchmark for efficiency in juvenile petition processing. The Juvenile Unit is now authorizing or denying petitions at an unprecedented speed, with the number of pending requests reduced to the lowest levels in recent memory.

“Our success in speeding up juvenile petition processing is a direct result of the outstanding leadership of our Juvenile Unit Chief and the dedicated efforts of our talented staff,” said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido. “Their commitment and expertise have been instrumental in achieving these results for crime victims and the public. Our ability to attract skilled professionals speaks to the quality and innovation within our team.”  

Despite a state and national hiring crisis for assistant prosecutors, Macomb County has zero vacant assistant prosecutor positions, which is remarkable for an office with over 70 attorney positions.

The Prosecutor’s Juvenile Unit, responsible for reviewing police reports, charging juveniles, and managing cases through the court system, has seen significant improvements under Lucido’s leadership. This unit plays a crucial role in holding young offenders accountable while emphasizing rehabilitation and preventing recidivism. In cases of serious offenses, the unit may motion to “waive” juveniles to adult court, to face adult criminal justice penalties.

The unit issued 704 cases through July this year. In 2023, 1,548 juvenile cases were issued. In 2020, the year before Lucido took office, 680 juvenile cases were issued. In 2018, there were 1,290 juvenile cases.  As of yesterday, there were only 15 out-of-custody juvenile petitions pending countywide, a very low number compared to the years before Lucido took office when pending out-of-custody petitions could accumulate on various assistant prosecutors’ desks. 

“The swift processing of juvenile petitions when justice permits is vital for maintaining the integrity of our justice system and ensuring timely interventions for young offenders,” Lucido said. 

The Juvenile Unit, consisting of a team of five full-time and one part-time skilled assistant prosecuting attorneys and two full-time clerical staff, manages both delinquency and child protective matters. They act as legal consultants for the Macomb County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) in child abuse and neglect cases, representing the agency in court and advising throughout the legal process.

Recent improvements include the integration of new case management and digital evidence management systems, which have contributed to the accelerated processing of juvenile petitions. This technological advancement has enabled the Juvenile Unit to efficiently review and act on petitions, minimizing delays and ensuring that justice is served promptly.

Prior to Lucido implementing new technology, pending juvenile petitions were distributed among assistant prosecutors, often with delays as petitions might sit for extended periods before being reviewed. While requests for in-custody juveniles were always expedited due to legal time constraints, out-of-custody juvenile petitions frequently experienced longer processing times, creating challenges for the unit chief in managing the workload effectively.

In the last 12 months, the Juvenile Unit has seen a substantial increase in the speed of petition processing, reflecting the office’s commitment to addressing juvenile cases without unnecessary delays. This enhanced efficiency not only benefits the judicial system but also supports the broader goal of rehabilitating young offenders and protecting vulnerable children.

Lucido highlighted the importance of these advancements: “By reducing delays in the petition process, we’re better able to provide timely resolutions for both juvenile offenders and victims. Our goal is to ensure that every case is handled with the urgency and care it deserves.”

Greatly improving juvenile warrant request processing is not the only improvements Prosecutor Lucido has made since January 2021.  Other progress includes:

• Child Support Collections Increased: intensified efforts to collect child support from parents who owe $5,000 or more, successfully collecting $1 million for Macomb County children since last year under this new initiative, with most collections done while avoiding criminal prosecution.
   
• Macomb County Prosecutor Shatters Glass Ceiling: Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido hired a record number of women as assistant prosecuting attorneys, with women filling 70% of new positions in the past three years. A majority of all assistant prosecuting attorneys handling cases in the county are now women. Lucido also promoted a record number of women to lead special units within the prosecutor’s office. After implementing an objective hiring process, and a  commitment to build a diverse and inclusive team to prosecute crimes and reflect the community we serve, Lucido successfully filled all assistant prosecutor positions despite a national shortage, a rarity for an office this size.
   
• Record Set for Fast Domestic Violence Warrant Processing: the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office is processing domestic violence warrant requests more efficiently than ever, a significant improvement compared to the years before Lucido took office when warrant requests seeking domestic violence charges for out-of-custody defendants could accumulate.
   
• Victim services improved 67%: More Macomb County crime victims get more help. The Macomb County Prosecutor's Office increased by ⅔ the percentage of crime victims receiving crucial support services compared to 2020, the year before Lucido took office. More victims now receive victim rights services, including but not limited to assigned victim advocates, help getting restitution, hearing notices or other kinds of support.
   
• Mental Health Assessments for Gun Crime Defendants: Started a first-in-Michigan policy requiring mental health assessments as part of bond conditions in all gun crime cases, using existing resources to provide an opportunity for mental health services before a suspect gets a chance to commit another crime with a gun.
   
• Same-Day Discovery Service with Transparent Tracking:  The office now offers same-day discovery services, benefitting crime victims and the general public by reducing delays, ensuring a more efficient and transparent criminal justice process, and significantly speeding up access to crucial evidence for defense attorneys and criminal defendants. Lucido has also taken steps to ensure transparency in the discovery process by publicly posting discovery processing dates on the office website, making Macomb County potentially the only prosecutor’s office to be so transparent with discovery timeliness.
   
• Hate Crimes Unit Launched: created a Hate Crimes Unit, securing a vital U.S. Department of Justice grant paying 100% of all its costs, a distinction granted to only 16 organizations nationwide last 
   
• Conviction Integrity Unit Exoneration: started this unit to investigate claims of innocence as a result of clear and convincing new evidence that the convicted defendant was not the person who committed the offense, and to review claims of factual innocence based on new evidence such as DNA.  This unit secured an exoneration.
   
• Major Crimes Unit Launched: Prosecutor Lucido organized the top-ranked assistant prosecutors to focus on major crimes, and train more APAs to handle these types of cases.
   
• Warrant Appeals Unit Launched: Established the state’s first formal prosecutor’s office unit allowing domestic violence victims (and all other crime victims) and law enforcement officials to have a second review of warrant requests where charges were denied.
   
• Digital Evidence Management Platform Implemented: With over 800,000 pieces of digital evidence, police agencies can now upload digital evidence, which the Prosecutor’s Office reviews, and defense lawyers can download directly, resulting in “discovery” information faster than it’s ever been provided.
   
• Increased Internships: Hosted over 200 law school and college interns. Court rules permit law student interns to handle court hearings under supervision, which helps the office serve victims and expedite cases.
   
• Paperless Crime Victim Rights: Implemented the county’s first paperless system for crime victims to request rights and notifications via text message or online.
   
• Police Training Provided: Regular training sessions by assistant prosecutors are conducted for every police agency in Macomb County, including updates on recent court cases.
   
• Enhanced Auto Theft Unit: Addressed a surge in attacks on car dealerships and manufacturing plants, prosecuting more continuing criminal enterprise cases in the past two years than in the previous decade, resulting in over $800,000 in restitution.
   
• Record number of national good government awards received:  The National Association of Counties (NaCO) presented 26 awards to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office during Lucido’s tenure.  The 12 awards received in 2024 is the highest (record) number of awards the organization has ever presented in one year.

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