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Staten Island DA explains lower dismissal rates due to smaller case volume
6:31:10
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65 sec
Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon explains that their borough's dismissal rates differ from other boroughs due to significantly lower case volumes and compares their situation to counties outside the city.
- Staten Island has approximately 10,000 arrests per year, about 1/6 to 1/7 of other boroughs' volumes
- Misdemeanor dismissal rates have increased by 10% to 15%, less than other boroughs
- McMahon notes that while outright dismissals are lower, they face challenges with charge reductions due to discovery issues
Michael McMahon
6:31:10
So you have to understand that our volume is so different than the other boroughs.
6:31:14
So we have roughly 10,000 arrests a year.
6:31:18
They have six, seven times that many.
6:31:22
So we have rates are a little bit more similar to counties outside the city.
6:31:28
So the increase is not 20% in dismissal rates, but it's more like 10% to 15% in misdemeanors.
6:31:35
And because our volume on felonies is is lower, that we don't we don't have the dismissal rate that they have, but we have reduction in charges rate because we're at a situation where we have to maybe take a plea on a case that because of circumstances, because of motion is pending, because a piece of evidence wasn't turned over, that the justice that maybe the facts and law required are not being delivered because of discovery.
6:32:01
So we're having that impact, just not at the volume as my colleagues have because in all fairness, we don't have the volume.
Robert F. Holden
6:32:07
You don't have the okay.
6:32:09
Brooklyn, though, has the other side of the coin.
6:32:13
Dismissal rate, do you have the dismissal rate?