10-14-2024 CC Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 232370v2 We are accustomed to meeting strict deadlines imposed by the court. Our experience allows us to work diligently but quickly in providing formal complaints, discovery, and legal memoranda. We always file formal complaints, DANCO motions, and bail recommendations within the deadline for all in -custody defendants. Commitment to Prosecution. We have six attorneys who do nothing but prosecution, which no other private firm offers. We have never assigned a new associate to prosecution to “learn the ropes” or to gain “court experience” and then move on to more lucrative work in the private sector or doing criminal defense. On the contrary, prosecution has been and always will be a cornerstone of our practice which has been built brick-by-brick for the past 35+ years. APPROACH TO PROSECUTION SERVICES Campbell Knutson has always treated prosecution services as an integral component of our municipal representation. As part of our practice, we are accustomed to reviewing evidence and preparing criminal complaints when the facts warrant it. One of the core ethical tenants of prosecution work is to file charges only when we have sufficient admissible evidence to support a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. If additional investigation is necessary before a charging decision can be made, we work closely with the police department to complete the investigation. We are committed to acting in the interests of justice. Our success is grounded on the following principles: Workload Management and Priority. As with any legal work, Campbell Knutson prosecution workloads vary from week to week. However, the management of priority obligations is one of the most important keys to the success and high quality of our partnership with the police departments. It is understood that questions need answers, and that time is of the essence. With six full-time prosecutors and a staff of eight efficient legal assistants, there is never a moment when our clients are unable to contact one of our lawyers or staff. Our attorneys are available 24/7 and understand that crime does not take off holidays and weekends or pause the need to have questions answered quickly and correctly. Campbell Knutson has always taken the approach that our prosecutors will be available to patrol officers and command staff around the clock. Crime, emergencies, and civil unrest often occur at night, and complicated situations often require immediate legal guidance in order to effectively and correctly manage emergency matters. Each weekend our six prosecutors will be available to Orono shift sergeants for processing required 48-hour detention probable cause statements. Criminal complaints for in-custody defendants are prioritized, processed and filed prior to the defendant’s first in-custody appearance in court before a judge, including drafting and filing of bail recommendations and proposed Domestic Abuse No Contact Orders in cases of domestic assault. Our legal assistants have an effective triage system for managing priority matters as they arise so that there is never a moment when our office would not be able to respond to and process a formal complaint request, or to petition the court for emergency relief in required situations. All calls are addressed immediately. Our attorneys have constant access to e-mail and texting capabilities for such purposes. We provide all police officers with a laminated card containing the phone number, cell phone number, and other electronic contact information of all of our prosecutors, so that there is never a moment when an officer in the field cannot access the legal answers required for rapidly developing and changing emergency situations. 61