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The Maricopa County Prosecutor’s Office was forced to overthrow 180 criminal cases because the charge was not filed before the statute of limitations expired.
Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzon did not apologize, saying he was worried about the victims of cases not prosecuted by prosecutors. Penzone spoke on behalf of Arizona Director of Public Security Colonel Heston Zilbert.
“The colonel and I acknowledge the difficulties in managing complex organizations and the corresponding problems, but we have found nothing to mitigate or justify the breadth of this shortcoming,” Penzone said. in the statement on KTAR-FM Glendale.
Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzon
(Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
“We stressed to Alistair County Attorney” our expectations that there should be honesty and transparency in dealing with victims affected by this problem, “Penzon added. “We also asked for immediate feedback on MCAO’s solution to this problem to ensure it does not happen again.”
Investigation of the Republic of Arizona found the prosecutor’s office was forced to close 180 cases of offenses, including drunk driving, domestic assaults and incidents of criminal damage that occurred in 2020 – because the prosecutor’s office forgot to file charges before the deadline.
Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Phoenix, Arizona
(Google Maps)
“The Marikopa District Prosecutor’s Office has not considered approximately 180 cases of offenses from 2020 until the expiration of the statute of limitations. The office has taken measures to inform the law enforcement agencies and the victims about this mistake, ”the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. office Fox 10 Phoenix. “The office has also redirected resources to ensure that this error does not occur in the future.”
Under Arizona law, delinquency cases must be filed within a year after the alleged crime occurred, the report said.
Maricopa County Attorney Alistair Adele
(Marikopa District Prosecutor’s Office)
Sheriff Penzone noted that the highest priority now is for victims who “will not receive justice due to these circumstances.”
Adele did not respond to a Fox 10 Phoenix request for comment.
