Macomb County Prosecutor Shatters Glass Ceiling with Record Number of Female Hires

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 6, 2024

Macomb County Prosecutor Shatters Glass Ceiling with Record Number of Female Hires

MOUNT CLEMENS, MI - In a landmark shift for Macomb County, Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido has set a new standard for diversity in the legal field by hiring a record number of women as assistant prosecuting attorneys. According to data from the Macomb County Human Resources and Labor Relations Department, women have filled 70% of the 20 Assistant Prosecuting Attorney I positions in the last three years. Women now comprise a significant portion of the county's prosecutorial team, marking a notable departure from past hiring practices.

Additionally, a majority of all assistant prosecuting attorneys in the county are now women. These assistant prosecutors are responsible for a range of critical duties, including authorizing arrest warrants, conducting court hearings, and managing all aspects of bench trials and jury trials.

“Talented people like working with other talented people, and this is especially true in our office,” said Lucido. “We hire the most qualified people to be tough on crime, work hard for our taxpayers, help us ensure the integrity in the criminal justice system, and help us balance accountability and redemption.”

Beyond hiring, Lucido has also promoted a record number of women to lead special units within the prosecutor’s office. These units oversee various key areas, such as Trials and Circuit Courts, Cooperative Reimbursement, Juvenile Unit, Child Protection and Criminal Sexual Conduct Unit, Conviction Integrity Unit, Domestic Violence Unit, Drug Unit, Internet Crimes, and Senior Crimes and Consumer Protection.

Lucido's tenure has been marked by the implementation of an objective hiring and promotion interview scoring process, a significant reform that aims to ensure fair and transparent recruitment. This method was not employed by the prosecutor’s office before Lucido assumed his position in January 2021.

While Michigan and the nation face a shortage of public prosecutors due to underfunded positions, caseload and working conditions, Lucido has managed to fully staff Macomb County’s assistant prosecutor positions. A study by William & Mary Law School in Virginia last year about the national prosecutor vacancy crisis included Michigan. Michigan’s prosecutor shortage is so severe that the state's 2024-25 budget includes a $17 million allocation for grants to address shortages in counties with high rates of violent crime. Bucking the national and state trend, however, Lucido's office currently has zero unfilled assistant prosecutor positions out of 73.5 full-time equivalent assistant prosecuting attorneys. Lucido attributes this success to his dedicated staff and effective recruitment strategies.

Reflecting on these achievements, Lucido stated, "We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team to prosecute crimes and reflect the community we serve. The dedication and expertise of our team members, regardless of gender, make all the difference in delivering justice fairly and effectively."

According to the Macomb County Human Resources and Labor Relations Department:

Principal Trial Lawyers
20 Total
11 Males – 55%
9 Females – 45%

 Assistant Prosecuting Attorney II
24 Total
14 Males   - 58%
10 Females - 42%

 Assistant Prosecuting Attorney I
20 Total
6 Males – 30%
14 Females – 70%

64 Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys
31 Males - 48%
33 Females – 52%

142 Employees
49 Males – 35%
89 Females – 63%
Only 4 clerical vacancies

Reforming the hiring process is not the only improvement 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.
• 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.
• 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. Appointed Michigan's first and only solely-dedicated hate crimes prosecutor at a county level, ensuring robust enforcement and community education.
• 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 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 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.