Legal Research

Wide Variation in FBI Prosecution Rates; Miami Leads

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: Crime and Justice News, June 23, 2008.

"In fiscal year 2007, federal prosecutors across the U.S. filed criminal charges in slightly more than half -- 55 percent -- of cases recommended for such action by the FBI. According to Justice Department data obtained by the Transactional Records Action Clearinghouse (TRAC) under the Freedom of Information Act, there was a wide district-to-district variation in the proportion of FBI referrals that resulted in an actual filing."

"At the top of the 90-plus districts was Florida South (Miami), where 77 percent of the FBI referrals resulted in charges. In the basement was Maine where only 18 percent made the grade. FBI prosecution rates showed some variation among several "big city" districts. In New York South (Manhattan), for example, 71 percent of the bureau's referrals were prosecuted. This compared with 57 percent in Illinois North (Chicago) and 40 percent in California North (San Francisco). For district-by-district FBI enforcement information on this and other subjects -- such as the makeup of FBI convictions in each district according to Justice Department program categories -- go to TRAC's Website, trac.syr.edu/tracfbi."

TRAC

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on June 23, 2008 (boomark / email).