Mission Statement
The Maricopa County Attorney is dedicated to the
vigorous prosecution of those who commit crimes
within the county. As the chief advocate for the
State and the citizens of the community in criminal matters, the County Attorney seeks to provide
the highest quality service and maintain the
integrity of the criminal justice system. Criminals
must be held accountable, while assuring that the
statutory rights and emotional needs of victims
and witnesses are properly addressed. Additionally,
the County Attorney seeks to implement, promote
and participate in programs that reduce crime
and enhance the quality of community life. The
County Attorney also contributes to excellence in
local government by providing complete legal
services to the county, its officers and political
subdivisions.

Richard M. Romley
Maricopa County
Attorney

Table of Contents
A Message From the Maricopa County Attorney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3

A Team Approach and Innovative Programs Assists Prosecutors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4

Use of Technology to Solve Crimes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4

Legal Research Before and During Trial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5

Presenting Exhibits and Evidence at Trial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

6

Striving for Excellence – Enhanced Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

7

Maricopa County Crime Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8

Office Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

9

Richard M. Romley, Maricopa County Attorney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

12

For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . inside back cover

2

A Message From the Maricopa County Attorney
As anticipated, this new millennium has brought about revolutionary changes in the way cases are investigated and
tried by my office. Computer simulation software reconstructs crime scenes, replacing the smaller, easel-laden diagrams. PowerPoint slide show presentations illustrate key
evidence, eliminating the flip charts of old. Case law
research with the help of an in-house database provides
attorneys with specific information in seconds, alleviating
tedious hours in the law library. Enlarged photographs are
projected on screen, so jurors no longer miss crucial testimony while passing around a photo. Technology is at the
heart of this change.
As County Attorney, I have embraced new technologies
designed to aid investigations and enhance the preparedness
of our attorneys. Today, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has emerged as a leader in innovative
prosecution due, in part, to the use of these technologies accompanied by in-depth training. This year’s
annual report focuses on the various areas of the Office where technology has had a dramatic impact.
While a laptop computer may replace an attorney’s yellow legal pad in the 21st century, technology cannot
replace the fundamentals of trial advocacy. With the expertise of our prosecutors and the experience of our
investigators, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office boasts a conviction rate higher than the national average. Thanks to the efforts of the entire staff, criminals are held accountable for the crimes they commit in
Maricopa County.
Sincerely,

Richard M. Romley
Maricopa County Attorney

3

A Team Approach and Innovative Programs
Assist Prosecutors
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office uses the team approach for its newly created and innovative
programs to assist attorneys during the prosecutorial process.

Use of Technology to Solve Crimes

Audio Video Technician John Swords
salvages a previously
inaudible tape recording with the use
of high-tech audio
equipment.
Surveillance
technology collects
evidence to assist
in the prosecution of
dangerous criminals.

In the past, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
continually faced a myriad of challenges in the
investigation and prosecution of crimes. In order
to meet these challenges, the Maricopa County
Attorney’s Office became one of the first prosecutorial agencies in the country to establish programs using teams of experts along with
advanced computer technology and litigationsupport software to provide our investigators and
prosecutors with the most comprehensive tools to
assist them during the investigative and prosecutorial process.

investigators and prosecutors to reconstruct the
facial features of unidentified victims, providing
valuable leads and strong evidence for a jury.
Many drug trafficking organizations and socalled “cyber-criminals” often take advantage of
legitimate improvements in electronic communications and computer technology to commit their
crimes. To combat this new breed of criminal, the
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Investigations
Division combines sophisticated computer technology and court orders to obtain evidence from
any electronic device used by criminals to commit
these high-tech crimes. Law enforcement agencies in Maricopa County can rely on a history of
productive investigative partnerships with the
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office to call on these
resources for technical support and assistance in
the investigation of criminal syndicates.

Over the years, the inability to identify victims of
apparent homicides hampered efforts to bring
killers to justice. Today, the Maricopa County
Attorney’s Office employs a medical illustrator
and forensic reconstruction artist to work with

This commitment to innovation, technology and
partnership was instrumental in the recent indictment of thirty-four (34) members of the “New
Mexican Mafia,” a violent and dangerous criminal syndicate with its roots in the world of prison
gangs. The combined efforts of federal, state and
local law enforcement agencies brought a halt to
the activities of indicted gang members responsible for an extensive drug trade, aggravated
assaults and murder.

4

Legal Research Before and During Trial
Historically, legal research has meant hours
locked away in a dusty law library searching for
just the right court case. When confronted with
complex issues in the middle of a trial, attorneys
very often were unable to rebut the issues due
to an inability to spend hours poring over legal
reference books.

Office established a Legal
Research team comprised
of legal assistants who
specialize in legal research
and writing. Attorneys are
able to request legal research
using the Intranet. This team
assists our attorneys, civil and
criminal, with their numerous
and varied legal research issues.

In 1996, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
took a major step to address this problem. At that
time, every attorney in the office was provided
with law research using CD Rom technology.
What often took hours to find in law libraries
away from the Office, now could be located within minutes—right from their desk.

“AZ Briefs,” which is accessed through the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office’s Intranet site, is an
automated legal brief bank which contains a
comprehensive collection of substantive and procedural criminal law topics. The “AZ Briefs” team
uses enhanced computer technology to provide an
on-line research data base for our attorneys and
legal assistants. In addition, the Office’s “Motion
and Response Bank,” which is also located on our
Intranet, contains related motions and responses
for attorneys to use in their case preparation.

Over the past four years, the Office has enhanced
our research ability through the use of a variety of
computer innovations. Using the technology of
the Intranet, we developed an on-line bank of
appellate and Supreme Court decisions, published
opinions, and other legal reference material.
Compiled into a user friendly, easy to navigate
format called “Legal Reference Materials,” attorneys and legal assistants are able to respond to
complex legal issues in a matter of hours when it
once took several days.

In just the first year, prosecutors and legal assistants have utilized “AZ Briefs” to answer more
than two thousand intricate legal questions in a
matter of minutes. Technology has helped the
Office to successfully handle the ever-increasing
complexity of cases, involving a multitude of
legal issues.

Our most recent innovation involves enhanced
legal research. The Maricopa County Attorney’s

The legal research
team teaches a workshop for attorneys
interested in using our
new on-line research
database.

5

Presenting Exhibits and Evidence at Trial
trained in imaging and data base technologies for
complex criminal and civil cases that involve
thousands of pages of documents, reports, and
exhibits such as photographs, maps, charts, and
diagrams. The use of computer technology allows
for evidence to be projected on TV monitors or
projection screens in the courtroom. These visual
aids help the Judge and jury to understand the
evidence and witnesses’ testimony.

No longer do prosecutors have to rely on cumbersome flip charts and cardboard exhibits for their
opening and closing arguments and presenting
evidence to the Judge and jury during trial. The
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Investigations
Division employs a team of experienced staff,
who have received extensive training in the use
of computer graphics software and litigationsupport software, to assist prosecutors in their
presentation of complex evidence issues at trial.
The Courtroom Litigation Specialists team is also

The use of sophisticated computer technology has
also allowed our Investigations Division Forensic
Exhibits and Analysis team to successfully produce two-dimensional or three-dimensional
crime scene diagrams, enlarged aerial photographs, and other illustrative exhibits for trial.

The courtroom litigation team puts the
finishing touches on
court-bound computer
generated presentations. Presentations
like these easily
illustrate the facts
of a criminal case.
Since few courtrooms
contain permanent
audio/video equipment, our mobile
video stations bring
the technology to the
courtroom.
Audio Video Technician John Harper
dubs a security video
tape in slow motion
for an upcoming trial.

6

Striving for Excellence Ñ Enhanced Training
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office took the
lead in establishing one of the first innovative and
comprehensive training programs for prosecutors
in the nation. Our Office has a fully functional
training division located within the confines of
our agency.

respected throughout the state and nation for
their work with crime victims and their prosecution success rate, as well as their training
expertise.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has done a
tremendous job enhancing its technology and
training capabilities to reinforce our prosecutors’
effectiveness at trial. This Office will never waver
from the challenge to ensure our investigators
and prosecutors are provided with state-of-the-art
tools and resources. Together as a team, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office will continue to vigorously prosecute those in Maricopa County who
make the decision to engage in criminal activity.

Today, with the complexities of prosecuting a vast
array of criminal and juvenile cases, prosecutors
must be armed with the most innovative tools to
assist them during the prosecution of a case. The
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office’s newly hired
attorneys are required to attend several weeks of
training on issues ranging from the criminal and
juvenile justice process and victims’ rights to trial
strategies. They are also afforded the opportunity
to try cases with an experienced attorney mentor
at their side. This team approach allows the mentor to give advice and guidance throughout the
pretrial and trial process.
More experienced prosecutors within the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office also receive ongoing
training. Educational classes are held on a regular basis as well as an Advanced Trial Advocacy
course which is designed to continually perfect
our prosecutors’ courtroom presentations.

All newly hired
prosecuting attorneys
balance classroom
lectures on criminal
procedure with
hands-on experience
trying cases in
Maricopa County
justice courts.

We are extremely proud of our attorney training
program. Due to the intensive and comprehensive
training our prosecutors receive, they are highly

The Maricopa County
Attorney’s Office
designed the
Advanced Trial Advocacy seminar to polish
the presentation skills
of more experienced
trial attorneys.

7

Maricopa County Crime Rate*
1990Ð1998
In the last few years, the number of reported crimes have gone down significantly when compared to the
population of Maricopa County. When comparing the 1998 rate of crime (the number of crimes reported
for every 100,000 people) to the 1990 crime rate, the citizens of Maricopa County have been victimized by
far fewer crimes.

Since 1990, Maricopa County’s population has increased 32.2%
more than the State of Arizona (27.4%)

Overall
• Maricopa County’s crime rate has decreased 19%
Crime rate for the State of Arizona decreased 16.7%

Violent Crime
• Maricopa County’s violent crime rate has decreased 18.8%
Arizona’s violent crime rate has decreased 11.4%

Property Crime
• Maricopa County’s property crime rate has decreased 19%
Property crime rate for Arizona decreased 17.1%

*

Source: Uniform Crime Report (UCR). All law enforcement agencies report crime statistics using standards developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Crime Rate is defined as the number of crimes reported per 100,000 people.

8

Office Statistics
Corresponding to the dramatic reduction in the crime rate over the past eight years, the Maricopa County
Attorney’s Office has seen a reduction in the number of reported crimes solved by law enforcement agencies and referred for felony or juvenile delinquency prosecution.

ADULT FELONY CASE FILINGS
Change
Crime
FY
’98/’99
From
’97/’98
__________________________________________________________
Part I, UCR*
Homicide
114
–11.6%
Sexual Assault
88
–8.3%
Child Molestation
314
2.6%
Robbery
748
–0.3%
Vehicular Homicide
41
24.2%
Aggravated Assault
2,146
–10.1%
Burglary
1,725
–7.7%
Arson
36
38.5%
Vehicular Theft
789
–44.8%
DUI
2,816
18.0%
Theft
1,170
–20.1%
Part II, UCR*
Drug Related
11,018
–2.5%
Other
Offenses
4,569
5.4%
__________________________________________________________
Total
25,574
–3.5%
*Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report

JUVENILE PETITION FILINGS
Change
Crime
FY
’98/’99
From
’97/’98
__________________________________________________________
Part I, UCR*
Homicide
7
–36%
Sexual Assault
9
13%
Child Molestation
72
1%
Robbery
98
–25%
Vehicular Homicide
0
0%
Aggravated Assault
609
–10%
Burglary
924
–27%
Arson
36
16%
Vehicular Theft
554
–27%
DUI
13
18%
Theft
1,816
–18%
Part II, UCR*
Drug Related
1,674
18%
Other
Offenses
4,071
–9%
__________________________________________________________
Total
9,883
–11%
*Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Report
(Note: After July 1997 juveniles 15 years and older accused of committing homicide, aggravated assault and
other violent crime were charged as adults under the Juvenile Justice Reform Act.)

9

ADULT CASES FILED
FY ’94/’95 to FY ’98/’99

Violent and Non-violent Crimes as defined by Part I, Uniform Crime Report

JUVENILE PETITIONS FILED
FY ’94/’95 to FY ’98/’99

Violent and Non-violent Crimes as defined by Part I, Uniform Crime Report

10

CONVICTION RATE
Superior Court Cases, FY ’98/’99

In fiscal year ’98/’99, over 20,000 adult felony matters were concluded in Superior Court. Over 87% of these
cases resulted in a conviction, 11% resulted in dismissal, often for reasons such as a conviction in a related case, death of the defendant, or inability to locate key witnesses. Only 1% of the dispositions were the
result of acquittal at trial.
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office conviction rate continues to exceed the national average.

Overview of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
• One of the largest prosecuting attorney’s offices in the country.
• Staff of 823 including 278 prosecutors, 32 attorneys handling civil
matters, 78 legal assistants, 48 victim witness advocates, 53 investigators, and 334 support and administrative staff.
• Eight support staff volunteers, 34 victim witness advocate volunteers, and 67 legal assistant volunteers.
• Five locations throughout Maricopa County including offices in
downtown Phoenix and Mesa, juvenile offices in West Phoenix
and Mesa.
11

Richard M. Romley, Maricopa County Attorney
1989ÐPresent
Nationally recognized, Rick Romley has earned the reputation as a leader in criminal justice issues. In his
third term as the Maricopa County Attorney, he is responsible for administering the prosecuting attorney’s
office in the fifth largest county in the United States. As such, Rick is often turned to for advice and counsel on issues important to Arizona and our Nation. Rick has been invited to testify before Congress and
to address national organizations on issues such as violent crime, terrorism, drug trafficking and public
corruption.
Rick has championed many prosecution and reform policies. He helped Arizona become one of our
Nation’s first states to pass a Constitutional amendment which guarantees that victims are afforded certain
rights during the criminal justice process. He played a leading role in rewriting Arizona’s Criminal Code,
which resulted in “Truth-in-Sentencing” statutes that require convicted criminals to serve their full time.
Rick was a prominent figure in the drive to reform Juvenile Justice. It was under his direction that AzSCAM,
the most significant public corruption case in Arizona’s history, was successfully investigated and prosecuted. For the past several years, he has been a key sponsor of the Violence Prevention Initiative — an
effort to develop a long-term and comprehensive strategy to prevent violent crime.
While Rick is known as a tough and successful prosecutor, he also believes in the need to develop integrated public policies that enhance public safety. His strategy ensures that chronic and violent offenders are
prison bound while, at the same time, he promotes programs that prevent youth from starting on the path
towards crime. Through his vision, citizens in Maricopa County are seeing improvements in their neighborhoods, notably a reduced crime rate. To maintain his commitment to dramatically decrease graffiti,
reduce blight and substandard living conditions, Rick recently created the Community Action Bureau
charged with prosecuting slumlord laws, illegal dumping and environmental concerns like dust control.
On a personal note, Rick was born in Tucson, Arizona, in 1949. Continuing a family tradition of over one
hundred years, Rick and his wife, Carol, make their home in Arizona. They have three sons: Darin, David
and Aaron. As a youth, Rick joined the United States Marine Corps and served as a squad leader in Vietnam
until wounded. After returning from Vietnam, he enrolled at Arizona State University, graduating with
honors in 1974 with a Degree in Business Management. He then began a five-year career as the owneroperator of a retail business. During this time he decided upon a career change, sold his business, enrolled
in law school at Arizona State University and received his Juris Doctorate in 1981. Since then, he has been
a prosecutor committed to a career in public service.
Rick Romley takes pride in being an innovative, aggressive prosecutor dedicated to improving the quality
of life for the citizens of Maricopa County.
Rick and Carol Romley,
Veterans Day Parade,
Nov. 11, 1999

For More Information
For more information on the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, please use the following numbers:

Maricopa County Attorney’s Office
Downtown (Main Number) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (602) 506-3411
301 W. Jefferson Street • Phoenix, AZ 85003
Investigations Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(602) 506-3844
Legal Assistants Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(602) 506-2751
Southeast Facility (Main Number) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (602) 506-2400
222 E. Javelina, Suite 2400 • Mesa, AZ 85210
Juvenile Division Eastside Office (Main Number) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (480) 962-8002
540 W. Iron Avenue, Suite 110 • Mesa, AZ 85210
Juvenile Division Westside Office (Main Number) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (602) 455-3877
3501 W. Osborn Avenue • Phoenix, AZ 85019
Wells Fargo Facility (Main Number) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (602) 372-7350
100 W. Washington, 21st Floor • Phoenix, AZ 85003
Training and Development Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
(602) 372-7200
Specific Information on Programs of Interest
Kids in Court Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Media Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Speakers Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Maricopa County Demand Reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Adoptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Community Action Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Victim Witness Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Victim Compensation Bureau . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(602) 506-8522
(602) 506-3411
(602) 506-7799
(602) 506-7799
(480) 962-8002
(602) 506-3411
(602) 506-8522
(602) 506-4955

Hotlines
Hate Crime . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Slumlord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Graffiti Busters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Illegal Dumping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(602) 506-5000
(602) 372-7586
(602) 262-7327
(602) 506-3867

www.maricopa.gov/attorney

RICHARD M. ROMLEY
MARICOPA COUNTY ATTORNEY