Maricopa County Crime Rates Continue to Drop

Maricopa County’s crime rates continued their downward trend, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  In fact, the county’s drop in crime rates was significant greater than that of the United States as a whole for 2014.  That year, Maricopa County experienced a 3.8 percent drop in violent crime and a 5.5 percent drop in property-only offenses, while the rest of the nation saw only a .2 percent decline in violent crime and a 4.3 percent drop in property crimes.  However, the county’s overall crime rate remains higher than the United States average. According to some experts, Arizona’s high crime rates are related to illegal immigration and drug trafficking due to the state’s border with Mexico. 

High Crime Rates and the Criminal Justice System

In any area in which there are high crime rates, the criminal justice court system may well be overloaded.  This translates into some grim realities for those who are arrested, even for very minor crimes. In order to process all of the pending cases in the criminal justice system, courts may utilize rapid turnaround methods and may not devote as much time to each individual case.  What that means, practically speaking, is that you may not get the attention your case deserves, particularly if you have mitigating circumstances. Additionally, a busy criminal court system means that public defenders may have large case loads.  If you utilize a public defender, he or she may be so overworked that your case is basically lost in the shuffle, and it may be difficult to find anyone in the court system who can help.  Although most public defenders are conscientious individuals who truly want to help, the sheer volume of their caseloads may make it impossible for them to focus on your case. In these circumstances, it makes sense to hire a criminal defense attorney, even if the crime is relatively minor.  A defense attorney like those at the Oswalt Law Group may be able to help you mitigate the damage caused by a criminal charge and may also be able to give you the support you need to win your case.  By having your own defense attorney who can give your case specialized and individualized attention, you are maximizing the chances that you can achieve a positive outcome.  Call Oswalt Law Group in Phoenix today to learn more about how we can help you with your Arizona criminal case.