Montco DA 2019 Summary: Drug Deaths Up, Total Cases Down

NORRISTOWN, PA — The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office handled over 8,000 cases in 2019, the lowest amount in recent history, according to a report shared Thursday by District Attorney Kevin R. Steele.

In 2019, the office saw an overall conviction rate of 97.8 percent and a homicide clearance of 100 percent. According to the report, 189 trials went to verdict and 3,641 cases of probation or parole violations were handled by the DA's office.

The report states the office completed 163 appeals dispositions, issued 15 writs of Habeas Corpus, saw through 3,203 juvenile court hearings and completed 506 juvenile adjudications.

The DA's office offers an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program generally provided for first-time offenders without prior criminal histories or ARD involvement. According to the DA's report, the program historically handles 18 to 20 percent of all criminal cases filed in the county, most of which are DUI arrests.

The ARD program lets offenders quickly resolve cases and petition to have their criminal records expunged. The report states 1,306 cases were disposed, and 35,047 hours of community service were completed through the program.

In the report, Steele also addressed the work of two Community Justice Units, alternative sentencing programs that diverts offenders from jails, efforts to combat the opioid-heroin-fentanyl crisis and notable prosecutions.

In addressing the justice system's impact in the Montgomery County community, Steel spearheaded Community Justice Units in Pottstown and Norristown. According to the report, prosecutors work with faith groups, community groups, businesses and police in these towns find solutions that reduce crime rates and support economic groups.

"...we are dedicated to providing individuals with a deserved second chance or some extra assistance through our Specialty and Diversionary Courts and Programs," Steele said in a statement, in part. "It’s a smart-on-crime approach that I think best helps us attain our mission to seek justice.”

Steele's report also addressed the ongoing opioid-heroin-fentanyl crisis, noting overdoses have risen, claiming the lives of 251 people in Montgomery County in 2019.

The report states the increase includes fentanyl, but methamphetamine and a deadly combination of drugs often sold as heroin have also entered the arena of deadly drugs contributing to deaths in the county.

“This increase is not welcome news, and the truth of the matter is that at 251 deaths or at 210, that overdose death number is too high. Every one of those deaths is someone’s loved one, friend or coworker who died too early,” Steele wrote in the report. “We will continue to fight this scourge in every way we can.”

One way Steele is facing off with drug deaths in the county is by working with police to put a stop to the trafficking of drugs through the community, he said.

“The law enforcement community in Montgomery County is committed to stemming the tide of the pain, suffering, addiction and death that those who traffic drugs are raining down on our communities and bringing into all of our lives,” Steele said. “Far too many families are suffering the unbearable loss of a loved one through overdose.”

The report also states the District Attorney's office has had a 95.65 percent clearance rate for homicides since 2011 and a rate of 100 percent in 2019, significantly higher than the national clearance rate of 62 percent.

“Our 53 attorneys, 39 county detectives and professional and support staff are dedicated to serving the residents of Montgomery County and keeping this county the vibrant, livable and safe place it is,” Steele said in a statement, in part. “We are dedicated to fairly and thoroughly investigating crime, following the evidence where it leads and charging accordingly. We are dedicated to victims, achieving justice for victims and protecting their rights, while also protecting the rights of the defendants."

>>> Click here to read the 2019 report in full.