A.J. Sedlak et al. / Child Abuse & Neglect 30 (2006) 657–677
the Prosecutor’s office. The remaining 30 cases opened in the Sheriff’s office were dropped. Examination
of Figure 1 reveals that after reaching the Prosecutor’s office, CPS sample cases were filed as felonies or
misdemeanors or not filed at all and classified as “No files.” Weekly meetings between law enforcement
and the Prosecutor’s office led to a high level of filings once cases reached the Prosecutor’s office. Only
3% of cases from the original CPS sample were not filed in criminal court after reaching the Prosecutor’s
office. A total of 36% of cases in the original sample were filed in criminal court by the Prosecutor’s
office; almost 1/3 were filed as felonies and 4% as misdemeanors.
Insufficient evidence was the most common reason the Prosecutor decided to drop a case. For these
cases, the Prosecutor’s office also cited the age of the victim and the child’s best interest as part of the
explanation for not pursuing them in the criminal court. Other reasons were generally based on ability
to obtain credible testimony. The 32% of CPS sample cases filed as felonies in the Prosecutor’s office
either: reached criminal court and were completed, or reached criminal court and remained open, or
alternatively, were deferred by the Prosecutor. Felony cases may also have had misdemeanor charges
filed simultaneously.
Criminal proceedings. Thirty-one percent of the CPS cases continued to the Prosecutor’s office and had
completed criminal court proceedings at the time of data retrieval. In more than 1/4 of CPS sample cases,
the perpetrator pled guilty. Three percent of the criminal court cases were classified as “nol-pros” (a
commonly used abbreviation of nolle prosequi, meaning dropped by the Prosecutor) and dismissed. In
two of the three cases reaching jury trial, there was a guilty finding. There was only one instance of a
non-jury trial and one plea of no contest. Each of these outcomes represented less than one percent of the
CPS sample cases. Other criminal dispositions concerned a handful of cases that remained open, were
deferred, were not prosecuted (“nol-pros”), were misdemeanors, or were pled guilty.
Sheriff arrest sample. Of the 225 cases sampled in the Sheriff’s office, 100 were arrests. The movement
of these cases through CPS and law enforcement is outlined in Figure 2. The unit of analysis for the
Sheriff-Arrest sample was the perpetrator. There were 104 perpetrators in the 100 sampled arrest cases.
The percentages reported reflect the total of 104.
Point of entry. Ninety-seven percent of the arrest cases sampled in the Sheriff’s office had first been
reported to law enforcement. Only two cases had first been reported to CPS and one case had entered
both agencies simultaneously. Of the perpetrator cases opened by Sheriff-Arrest, 17% were investigated
by CPS, and 95% were sent to the Prosecutor’s office for possible prosecution. In addition, five cases
with juvenile perpetrators were referred to juvenile court.
CPS investigated case and DCLS cases. A case was considered appropriate for CPS investigation if it
met one of the following criteria: (1) any perpetrator was a member of the victim’s household, (2) any
perpetrator was related to the victim, or (3) a caretaker could be accused of having failed to protect a
victim from whatever abuse had occurred. According to case reader’s judgments, 62% of the perpetrator
cases in the Sheriff-Arrest sample met one or more of these criteria. However, only 18 cases (17% of
perpetrators and 28% of applicable cases) actually were investigated by CPS. Eliminating cases already
known to CPS (3%), 25% of the cases were new referrals to CPS. Three cases proceeded to DCLS and
on to dependency court.
A.J. Sedlak et al. / Child Abuse & Neglect 30 (2006) 657–677
669
Figure 2. Sheriff’s arrest sample cases.
Sheriff’s office to prosecutor and prosecutor’s filing decision. Ninety-five percent of the cases went on
to the Prosecutor’s office. Five cases were referred to Juvenile Court. Six (6%) of the referred cases were
not filed by the Prosecutor’s office due to: need for further investigation, insufficient evidence, victim
whereabouts unknown, resolution of difference between victim and perpetrator, and other reasons. Thirty-
five percent of perpetrator cases from the Sheriff-Arrest sample were filed as felonies. The Prosecutor
deferred no felony cases.
Criminal proceedings. Of the perpetrator cases that were filed as felonies, 34% reached criminal court
and were completed. More than one quarter (28%) of the arrested perpetrators in the sample pled guilty
in criminal court, 2% pled no contest to the charges. Other cases were dismissed, went to trial or were
found not guilty. Nearly all of the perpetrator cases filed as misdemeanors (49 cases) were completed in
criminal court.
The outcomes for misdemeanors and felonies in the Sheriff-Arrest sample were largely similar.
Twenty-three percent of the perpetrators pled guilty to the charges filed. Ten percent of the cases were
“nol-pros” dismissals in criminal court, and in 8% of the cases there was a no contest plea. Four cases
(4%) resulted in pretrial interventions that led to case closing. Two cases reached trial, one of which
was a no jury trial and the other a jury trial in which there was a finding of guilt. Two percent of
A.J. Sedlak et al. / Child Abuse & Neglect 30 (2006) 657–677
the Prosecutor’s office. The remaining 30 cases opened in the Sheriff’s office were dropped. Examination
of Figure 1 reveals that after reaching the Prosecutor’s office, CPS sample cases were filed as felonies or
misdemeanors or not filed at all and classified as “No files.” Weekly meetings between law enforcement
and the Prosecutor’s office led to a high level of filings once cases reached the Prosecutor’s office. Only
3% of cases from the original CPS sample were not filed in criminal court after reaching the Prosecutor’s
office. A total of 36% of cases in the original sample were filed in criminal court by the Prosecutor’s
office; almost 1/3 were filed as felonies and 4% as misdemeanors.
Insufficient evidence was the most common reason the Prosecutor decided to drop a case. For these
cases, the Prosecutor’s office also cited the age of the victim and the child’s best interest as part of the
explanation for not pursuing them in the criminal court. Other reasons were generally based on ability
to obtain credible testimony. The 32% of CPS sample cases filed as felonies in the Prosecutor’s office
either: reached criminal court and were completed, or reached criminal court and remained open, or
alternatively, were deferred by the Prosecutor. Felony cases may also have had misdemeanor charges
filed simultaneously.
Criminal proceedings. Thirty-one percent of the CPS cases continued to the Prosecutor’s office and had
completed criminal court proceedings at the time of data retrieval. In more than 1/4 of CPS sample cases,
the perpetrator pled guilty. Three percent of the criminal court cases were classified as “nol-pros” (a
commonly used abbreviation of nolle prosequi, meaning dropped by the Prosecutor) and dismissed. In
two of the three cases reaching jury trial, there was a guilty finding. There was only one instance of a
non-jury trial and one plea of no contest. Each of these outcomes represented less than one percent of the
CPS sample cases. Other criminal dispositions concerned a handful of cases that remained open, were
deferred, were not prosecuted (“nol-pros”), were misdemeanors, or were pled guilty.
Sheriff arrest sample. Of the 225 cases sampled in the Sheriff’s office, 100 were arrests. The movement
of these cases through CPS and law enforcement is outlined in Figure 2. The unit of analysis for the
Sheriff-Arrest sample was the perpetrator. There were 104 perpetrators in the 100 sampled arrest cases.
The percentages reported reflect the total of 104.
Point of entry. Ninety-seven percent of the arrest cases sampled in the Sheriff’s office had first been
reported to law enforcement. Only two cases had first been reported to CPS and one case had entered
both agencies simultaneously. Of the perpetrator cases opened by Sheriff-Arrest, 17% were investigated
by CPS, and 95% were sent to the Prosecutor’s office for possible prosecution. In addition, five cases
with juvenile perpetrators were referred to juvenile court.
CPS investigated case and DCLS cases. A case was considered appropriate for CPS investigation if it
met one of the following criteria: (1) any perpetrator was a member of the victim’s household, (2) any
perpetrator was related to the victim, or (3) a caretaker could be accused of having failed to protect a
victim from whatever abuse had occurred. According to case reader’s judgments, 62% of the perpetrator
cases in the Sheriff-Arrest sample met one or more of these criteria. However, only 18 cases (17% of
perpetrators and 28% of applicable cases) actually were investigated by CPS. Eliminating cases already
known to CPS (3%), 25% of the cases were new referrals to CPS. Three cases proceeded to DCLS and
on to dependency court.
A.J. Sedlak et al. / Child Abuse & Neglect 30 (2006) 657–677
669
Figure 2. Sheriff’s arrest sample cases.
Sheriff’s office to prosecutor and prosecutor’s filing decision. Ninety-five percent of the cases went on
to the Prosecutor’s office. Five cases were referred to Juvenile Court. Six (6%) of the referred cases were
not filed by the Prosecutor’s office due to: need for further investigation, insufficient evidence, victim
whereabouts unknown, resolution of difference between victim and perpetrator, and other reasons. Thirty-
five percent of perpetrator cases from the Sheriff-Arrest sample were filed as felonies. The Prosecutor
deferred no felony cases.
Criminal proceedings. Of the perpetrator cases that were filed as felonies, 34% reached criminal court
and were completed. More than one quarter (28%) of the arrested perpetrators in the sample pled guilty
in criminal court, 2% pled no contest to the charges. Other cases were dismissed, went to trial or were
found not guilty. Nearly all of the perpetrator cases filed as misdemeanors (49 cases) were completed in
criminal court.
The outcomes for misdemeanors and felonies in the Sheriff-Arrest sample were largely similar.
Twenty-three percent of the perpetrators pled guilty to the charges filed. Ten percent of the cases were
“nol-pros” dismissals in criminal court, and in 8% of the cases there was a no contest plea. Four cases
(4%) resulted in pretrial interventions that led to case closing. Two cases reached trial, one of which
was a no jury trial and the other a jury trial in which there was a finding of guilt. Two percent of
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