2021 ANNUAL REPORT M A R I C O PA C O U N T Y ATTORNEY’S OFFICE 2 2 5 W E S T M A D I S O N S T R E E T | P H O E N I X , A Z 8 5 0 0 3 | 6 0 2 - 5 0 6 - 3 4 1 1 | M a r i c o p a C o u n t y A t t o r n e y. O r g Maricopa County Attorney’s Office 2021 Annual Report Dear Friends, Seeking justice in a fair and equitable manner and keeping families safe in our community is a noble task and one to which I am deeply committed. In 2021, victims, the courts, our public safety partners, other government agencies, the legal community, and so many others worked together to ensure justice in our community. The employees of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) continue to work diligently to uphold the law, while ensuring the due process rights of defendants in this community. The County’s Civil Services Division provided outstanding legal advice to our partners in county government and ensured that our government is for the people and by the people. As County Attorney, I am proud to work alongside professionals who have dedicated their careers to serving their community. Our Keeping Families Safe crime prevention campaign has informed tens of thousands of individuals about how to protect their loved ones and their community. Throughout 2021, in spite of the pandemic, we successfully provided critical information to our community about identity theft, vehicular heatstroke, the dangers of driving while impaired, and provided resources to victims of domestic violence. I am so proud of the accomplishments of the MCAO in 2021! Our partnerships with law enforcement helped remove dangerous individuals from our neighborhoods and streets. Expanded diversion programs allowed those who want to do better and be better the opportunity to do so. And victims navigating the criminal justice system were provided invaluable services by advocates and prosecutors to ensure their rights were protected. A global pandemic has challenged every aspect of our lives, but it has not prevented this office from seeking justice and upholding the laws of this great state. My commitment to the rule of law and community safety, combined with the hard work of our dedicated employees, will ensure that we are able to continue our important mission. Best, Allister Adel Maricopa County Attorney Letter from County Attorney Allister Adel - Page 2 Maricopa County Attorney’s Office 2021 Annual Report KEEPING FAMILIES SAFE s m iu Re Med In 2021, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office continued its highly-successful Keeping Families Safe crime prevention campaign, a digital crime prevention outreach program. Through this crime prevention campaign, the office has been able to reach out to many Maricopa County residents and help raise awareness of safety issues and crime trends that impact them the most. ac 2021 FOCUS ON h DUI 13,440,099 Radio Ads 10,823,222 Impressions 3,458 18,782 TV Spots Webpage Visits ia l M e dia Scams and Fraud Facebook Posts: 440 Followers: 1,123 (174 new followers) Impressions: 68,201 Reach: 57,166 So c (Cox Media Networks) Twitter Tweets: 475 Followers: 5,492 (690 new followers) Profile Visits: 70,381 Impressions: 657,700 915 Substance Abuse Posts 725,901 w sle tter Ou Ne Impressions 5,480 Subscribers 45,911 Total Opens 5,656 Total Clicks e tr ac h Domestic Violence 927 Total 47 Safety Presentations 4 Vehicular Heatstroke Events Keeping Families Safe Campaign Highlights - Page 3 Maricopa County Attorney’s Office 2021 Annual Report YEAR IN REVIEW Settlement with Manufacturers and Distributors of Prescription Opioids Led by County Attorney Allister Adel and in collaboration with 14 County Attorneys and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office reached a settlement with manufacturers and distributors of opioids for their role in unlawfully marketing, promoting, and dispensing prescription opioids. This agreement will bring $580 million dollars to the state of Arizona and $80 million to the residents of Maricopa County. Funds will be used to treat, prevent, and help people recover from opioid use disorder and support both government and non-profit organizations working to address this issue. Maricopa County Attorney Proactively Assists with Expungement of Prior Marijuana Convictions and Honors the Will of the Voters After the Passage of Prop 207 On Nov. 3, 2020, voters in Arizona passed Proposition 207, also known as the Smart and Safe Act, which decriminalized marijuana for recreational use. Immediately following the certification of the election, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office proactively filed motions to dismiss pending cases in Maricopa County affected by the new statute. The MCAO filed to dismiss or drop over 5,000 charges related to the use, transportation, or cultivation of recreational marijuana. In July of 2021, the MCAO began filing over 7,000 petitions to expunge eligible marijuana convictions. MCAO Provides Grants to 13 Local Non-Profit Organizations Every year, MCAO’s Community Grants Program provides funding to non-profit community agencies that support victims of crime and provide crime prevention education focused on substance abuse and gang activity. For the July 2021 grant cycle, MCAO awarded a total of $106,500 to 13 local non-profit organizations. By investing funds into organizations that are on the ground working to prevent crime, we are ensuring our work has a positive impact beyond the courtroom. Adoption Services Celebrates One Year of Finding Children Loving Homes During the summer of 2020, County Attorney Adel reinstated adoption legal services to the County Attorney’s Office. Under Arizona law, the MCAO is required to provide free legal representation in any uncontested adoption. More than a year later, Adoption Services has successfully completed 90 adoptions and saved taxpayers close to $750,000 by handling the adoptions with MCAO staff. “Adoption is not about finding children for families, its about finding families for children.” — Joyce Maguire Pavao Year in Review - Page 4 Maricopa County Attorney’s Office 2021 Annual Report Street Racing Prosecution Efforts Over the last several years, the Phoenix Police Department’s Street Racing Task Force has worked to address the increasing problem of illegal street racing on public roadways. As a result of their work, the County Attorney’s Office was able to move forward in the prosecution of some of the most prolific offenders of this dangerous criminal activity. As of October 2021, the office was prosecuting 12 illegal street racing cases and had begun processing over a dozen others. MCAO Launches Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office expanded its outreach and engagement with underrepresented and marginalized communities with the creation of an employee position specifically for Diversity and Community Engagement. This full-time employee will coordinate MCAO’s internal diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts with our DEI volunteer employee committee. In 2021, the DEI employee committee championed several important initiatives, including MCAO funding of employees’ dues in minority bar organizations, and the creation of Employee Resource Groups (ERG) to foster inclusivity and provide spaces for employees to feel valued, understood, and share their valuable life experience with others. Sexual Assault Testing Kit Backlog Complete In coordination with its law enforcement partners, the MCAO successfully eliminated the backlog in Maricopa County of previously unsubmitted sexual assault kits. Since 2015, MCAO has been leading the effort to identify, inventory, and test over 4,500 untested kits. With the 2021 award of $2.5 million from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI), MCAO will now focus on funding DNA testing of roughly 1,200 partially-tested sexual assault kits from the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The SAKI grant will also fund additional law enforcement training and the hiring of an additional MCAO detective to assist law enforcement agencies with sexual assault investigations. County Attorney and Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Receive National Honor for Elections Work The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and the County Attorney's Office received national recognition from the National Association of Counties for their role in overseeing and ensuring free and fair elections in 2020. Since election day, the Civil Division Elections team has worked tirelessly to support and defend the Board of Supervisors, the Office of the Recorder, and the Elections Department. Nearly twenty lawsuits were filed, and the team successfully defended the County’s processes and procedures; none of the claims of fraud or foul play have been substantiated. Year in Review - Page 5 Maricopa County Attorney’s Office 2021 Annual Report County Attorney’s Office Receives National Recognition for Home Detention Program and Data Dashboard The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office was recognized with two National Achievement Awards from the National Association of Counties. The first award received was in the Civic Education and Public Information category for its Data Dashboard and the second award was in the Criminal Justice and Public Safety category for its Home Detention Program, which was developed in partnership with the Maricopa County Justice Courts. MaricopaCountyAttorney.org/Data-Dashboard County Attorney Employees Recognized in 2021 Every year, our employees are recognized for their work and dedication to public safety. This year, three of our employees were recognized for their contributions to our communities and the criminal justice system by the Arizona Prosecuting Attorneys’ Advisory Council (APAAC). Deputy County Attorney (DCA) Mike Baker and Legal Support Supervisor Jolie Panyon both received Lifetime Achievement Awards and DCA Julie Done received the Appellate Prosecutor of the Year Award. A PA AC L I F E T I M E AC H I E V E M E N T AWA R D Legal Support Supervisor Deputy County Attorney Jolie Panyon Mike Baker A P P E L L AT E P R O S E C U TO R OF THE YEAR Deputy County Attorney Julie Done The Arizona Narcotic Officers Association (ANOA) recognized DCA Veronica Skinner as Prosecutor of the Year for her dedicated work and accomplishments on a large-scale wiretap investigation and consequent prosecutions. They also highlighted her trial work and training to law enforcement. Detective John Kozeliski was recognized as an Outstanding Instructor by the Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AZHIDTA) for his support of the HIDTA training program, exceptional training skills, and willingness to share his knowledge and expertise with law enforcement officers, analysts, prosecutors, military personnel, and civilians across the state of Arizona. Year in Review - Page 6 Maricopa County Attorney’s Office 2021 Annual Report BY THE NUMBERS Criminal Prosecution Five divisions within the Maricopa County Attorney's Office are tasked with handling a variety of criminal cases. The majority of criminal cases are handled by attorneys in the Trial Division, while more serious offenses are assigned to one of the specialized prosecution bureaus. The Juvenile Crimes Division handles cases involving minors under the age of 18. In 2021, the office received 51,181 cases for review from law enforcement, filed 23,922 cases, and furthered 7,221 cases back to law enforcement for additional information. Civil Services Division The Civil Services Division of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office serves as the law firm for County government. In addition to providing legal representation and advice to elected officials and County agencies, the Civil Services Division defends legal actions, lawsuits, and claims brought against the County and its employees, handles tax appeals filed by County taxpayers, and processes and/or advises on public records requests. In 2021, the Division handled a variety of legal matters including new and ongoing issues stemming from the 2020 election, numerous civil rights and tort claims, and over 4,100 hearings involving court ordered evaluation and treatment. The Division also assisted in processing 664 new public records requests, completing 419 public records requests, as well as handling difficult public fiduciary and tax related matters. Civil Services was also instrumental in assisting Maricopa County reach a settlement in ongoing Opioid Litigation that is expected to bring in tens of millions of dollars over the next 18 years to combat opioid addiction in Maricopa County. Victims Services It is often said that victims of crime are victimized twice…once when the crime occurs and again as the victim navigates a complicated criminal justice system. No doubt, our system of justice is complex. Those of us trusted to uphold the law work tirelessly to ensure the due process rights of defendants are protected, as this is critically important under our rule of law. But it is also always a priority of the County Attorney’s Office to ensure that those who are victimized, oftentimes by a serious violent act, have a voice and opportunity for justice. The Victim Services Division houses ten specialized bureaus designed to advance victims’ rights, including child victim and survivor advocacy, special victims advocacy, and assistance with property and financial loss. In 2021, this office provided 47,585 services to 25,216 victims, notifications were made to 257,676 individuals about the status of their case, and 3,052 claims paid $1,782,585 for victim compensation. Diversion The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office operates one of the most robust pre-trial diversion programs in the country, empowering eligible offenders to become productive citizens with community-based education and treatment programs as an alternative to prosecution. In November, the Office launched the Developmental Disabilities – Felony Diversion Program (DD-FDP). This program provides a diversion alternative to eligible post-file felony offenders with a qualifying diagnosis for a Developmental Disability (DD). The MCAO currently offers diversion opportunities in ten areas. At the conclusion of FY 2020, MCAO had 1,297 defendants enrolled in diversion programs. In FY 2021, MCAO enrolled an additional 3,087 defendants into diversion programs. In FY 2021, 1,743 defendants were successfully discharged from a diversion program. By the Numbers - Page 8 Maricopa County Attorney’s Office 2021 Annual Report Prosecution Integrity Unit In 2020, County Attorney Adel created the Prosecution Integrity Unit to handle claims of actual innocence, potential inappropriate police conduct including excessive use of force, and other claims of prosecutorial unfairness in handling cases. In 2021, the unit received 42 referrals from prosecutors expressing concerns about law enforcement actions. One referral resulted in the resignation and arrest of an officer. After a prosecutor reported concerns about inaccurate MVD records, staff worked to notify prosecutors and defense attorneys statewide of the issue and communicated the need to correct the records to MVD and ADOT. A prosecutor worked to overturn a trial conviction that she had obtained after the Prosecution Integrity Unit learned from a police agency of an internal investigation that revealed the arresting officer had lied about the basis for the traffic stop that led to the arrest. Investigations The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Investigations Division is comprised of sworn and civilian positions that support the prosecutorial efforts of the MCAO and ensure the safety and well-being of employees. In 2021, 7,066 weapons checks/assists were completed, 509 background investigations were initiated on new employees, and investigators served 1,643 subpoenas. Public Records Upon taking office, one of the first priorities of County Attorney Adel was to address a backlog of public records requests with the office. After a review of process in late 2019, the team streamlined the system and additional resources were provided to ensure the office was not only responsive to requests, but that it was able to dramatically reduce the amount of time it took to provide publicly available documents. In 2021, the office received 664 public records requests and completed 419. Support and Administrative Services The work of employees at the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is supported by a team of professionals in information technology, finance, human resources, facilities management, and other internal support functions. In 2021, the Board of Supervisors adopted a budget of $115,714,421 for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. This funding is overseen and carefully managed by experienced finance and budget personnel. The human resources department hired and processed 75 new employees. Information technology handled 29,118 requests for assistance. By the Numbers - Page 9 Maricopa County Attorney’s Office 2021 Annual Report O R G A N I Z AT I O N A L C H A R T Allister Adel County Attorney Finance Information Technology Chief of Staff General Services Legal Services Communications Human Resources Special Projects Legislative Affairs Diversity & Community Engagement Chief Deputy Victim Services Division Civil Services Division Trial Division Training and Post Conviction Division Juvenile Crimes Division Special Prosecution 1 Division Special Prosecution 2 Division Investigations Diversion Strategies • Accounting • Grants & Contracts • Travel & Procurement • Translation & Interpretation • Support Center • Systems & Network Admins • Facilities • Couriers • Project Management & Solutions Architects • Litigation Graphics • Intake DT & SEF • Reception • Community Affairs • Communications & Public Information • Payroll • Recruitment • Onboarding • Initial Discovery • Records • Evidence Technicians • Victim Information • Community Based East • Community Based West • Behavioral Health/HR • Government Advice • Field Response • Property and Financial Crimes • Survivor Advocacy and Support • Litigation • Public Records • East Phoenix/Scottsdale • North Central Phoenix • Phoenix Central/South Mountain • Appeals/Probation Violation • Asset Recovery • West Bureau A • West Bureau B • Special Victims • Victim Compensation • Child Advocacy • West Central Phoenix/Peoria • Mesa • Southeast Valley • West Valley • Southwest Valley • Grand Jury • Justice Court East • Justice Court West • Training • East Bureau A • Capital Litigation • Homicide • Gangs • Vehicular • Drug Enforcement • Sex Crimes East • White Collar/Cyber Crime • Sex Crimes West • Public Safety Liaisons • Executive Protection Detail • Check Enforcement • Diversion Programs • Family Violence East • Family Violence West • Investigations • Crime Analysis & Research Prosecution Integrity Unit Organizational Chart - Page 10 M A R I C O PA C O U N T Y ATTORNEY’S OFFICE 2021 ANNUAL REPORT 2 2 5 W E S T M A D I S O N S T R E E T | P H O E N I X , A Z 8 5 0 0 3 | 6 0 2 - 5 0 6 - 3 4 1 1 | M a r i c o p a C o u n t y A t t o r n e y. 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