OFFICE OF THE MERRIMACK COUNTY ATTORNEY

Daniel I. St. Hilaire

Merrimack County Attorney
Merrimack County Attorney’s Office

4 Court Street
Concord, NH 03301
(603)228-0529
fax (603) 226-4447

CountyAttorney@mcao.net

The Merrimack County Attorney’s Office serves the community in four distinct areas.  The first and primary function is to prosecute felony level crimes committed within Merrimack County.  The office also prosecutes misdemeanor criminal cases for a majority of the towns in all five district courts within the county.

Second, the Merrimack County Diversion Center offers alternatives to incarceration for first-time, non-violent offenders by providing programs to deal with drug and alcohol use and addiction, anger management and life skills classes. The Diversion Center also supervises those required to do community service.   The program benefits the community by providing rehabilitation and education to clients which decreases the likelihood of re-offending.

Third, the Merrimack County Pre-trial Services Program supervises individuals charged with crimes who are awaiting trial.  The bail supervision program protects the safety of the community by performing random drug and alcohol testing and conducting home visits to ensure compliance with curfews and other bail conditions.  When appropriate, alleged offenders are screened and referred to counseling and other programs to ensure the safety of the public.

Fourth, the office reviews all unattended and untimely deaths which occur in the county.  The County Attorney’s Office provides funding authorization for the state medical examiner to perform autopsies or other testing in cases where questionable circumstances may arise.

MERRIMACK COUNTY ATTORNEY

HISTORY OF INDICTED DEFENDANTS

• Jury trials increased by 14% over  2003 to their highest levels ever
• 487 defendants were indicted on Felony charges in Merrimack County
  2004, a 4% decrease from 2003

ADULT DIVERSION CENTER

 

• In 2004, cases reach a record high
• 66%  increase in total cases referred which include Adult Felony
  and Misdemeanor Diversion, the FAST Program, and the Bridge Program
  Case Referral History from 1992 to 2004
• 2004 was the first full year of operation for the FAST Program, a highly acclaimed program targeted toward first time drug and alcohol offenders charged through the District Courts
• Due to the addition of the FAST Program in 2003, the Diversion Center’s Case load has more than doubled over the past 2 years
• Restitution for victims of crime was collected in the amount of $23,140.75 in 2004

 

COMMUNITIES / AGENCIES SERVED

25 communities and agencies combined to refer 310  cases to the
Diversion Center in 2004
 

PRE-TRIAL SERVICE PROGRAM

The Pre-Trial Services Program provides supervision and monitoring for individuals charged with a crime and released on bail conditions into the community pending trial. Pre-trial Service Officers ensure compliance with court orders by providing random drug testing, home visitations and ensuring compliance with conditions of counseling. This program reduces costs for the county by alleviating the expense of incarceration prior to trial and allowing those arrested to maintain gainful employment.The Pre-Trial Service Program experienced a 5% increase in their case load
over 2003

MEDICAL REFERREE

A concerted effort to reduce the Medical Referee budget for autopsies and other related expenses to the State’s Coroner’s Office has resulted in a 47% decrease in county expenditures in the past two years

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OFFICE OF THE MERRIMACK COUNTY ATTORNEY

 2003 ANNUAL REPORT 

“This report outlines a very successful year for the Office of the Merrimack County Attorney.  A record number of cases were prosecuted by the office in 2003.  At the same time, the Diversion Center and Pre-Trial Services caseload climbed to their greatest levels ever.  I wish to thank all those who have worked with us in the pursuit of justice during my first year as County Attorney.”

Daniel I. St. Hilaire,
Merrimack County Attorney
Merrimack County Attorney’s Office, 4 Court Street, Concord, NH 03301
(603) 228-0529, Fax (603) 226-4447

countyattorney@mcao.net

The Merrimack County Attorney’s Office is comprised of four distinct components: the County Attorney’s Office, the Medical Referee, the Diversion Center, and the Pretrial Services Program. For programmatic and budgetary reasons these components are treated as separate entities even though they are the exclusive responsibility of the Merrimack County Attorney.

• 36% increase in the number of people indicted from 2002

            HISTORY OF INDICTED DEFENDANTS

• 49% increase in number of people indicted for drug related crimes from 2002
• 69% increase in number of indictments for drug related crimes from 2002
• 11% increase in jury trials from 2002
• After a 10 year average of 14% increases in the County Attorney Budget, the 2003 operating budget was reduced during the year by 8% due to cost saving measures that resulted in a 2% decrease in the County Attorney budget from 2002
• Office staff volunteered at the United Way Day of Caring and American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Walk in an effort to develop a strong relationship with the community we serve
• Filled all vacant positions for the first time in 4 years

41% increase in number of indictments granted by the Grand Jury from 2002

 HISTORY OF INDICTMENTS GRANTED BY THE GRAND JURY

• Implemented Grand Jury procedures, increasing the amount of notice that law enforcement witnesses receive for their appearance, and reduced the amount of time a witness is needed to present a case to Grand Jury
• Reduced the length of time between when a felony file is received and when it is presented to Grand Jury for Indictment
• Significantly improved communications with the law enforcement community, NH Attorney General’s Office, US Attorney’s Office, the five District Courts and Superior Court staff, State and County Department of Corrections personnel, and Police Department Prosecutors
•  Conducted joint prosecutions with the NH Attorney General’s Office and coordinated prosecution of gun related crimes with the US Attorney’s Office
• Acquired grant that allows victim/witness staff to attend national training at no cost to the county
• Prosecutors have attended training provided by the NH Attorney General’s Office and the National District Attorney’s Association at no cost to the county
• Prosecutors have provided training to the law enforcement community at the local police departments and the Police Academy on DWI laws, Court rules and procedures, Administrative License Suspension process, Negligent Homicide, and complaint and report writing

 MEDICAL REFEREE

• The Medical Referee component of the County Attorney’s Office is responsible for all “untimely deaths” in Merrimack County. Untimely deaths include all fatalities regardless of whether there is a criminal element involved or not. With the assistance of the State Medical Examiner’s Office, and law enforcement personnel involved, The County Attorney’s Office determines if an autopsy is appropriate. The Office is responsible for all expenses associated with the Medical Examiner’s investigation and an autopsy, if authorized.
• Reduced Medical Referee related expenses by 26% in 2003 after a 8% over spending in 2002

DIVERSION CENTER

• An addition to the Diversion Center was the FAST Program, a new initiative created by County Attorney Daniel I. St. Hilaire.  This early intervention program is designed to address previously untargeted first time drug and alcohol offenders at the District Court level. The FAST Program is designed to educate individuals about the harms of substance abuse and help prevent them from re-offending.  The FAST Program nearly pays for itself as a result of fees collected from the participants.

Adult Felony Diversion, the FAST Program, and the Bridge Program referrals have increased 38% from 2002

DIVERSION REFERRAL HISTORY

2003 DIVERSION REFERRALS BY COMMUNITY *

* Referrals were received from law enforcement as well as local and county prosecutors for cases in Juvenile, District and Superior Court.

PRETRIAL SERVICES PROGRAM

 The Pretrial Services Program experienced a 17% increase in their caseload from 2002. 

PRETRIAL CASELOAD HISTORY

• The Diversion Center and Pretrial Program office space was greatly expanded and now includes a conference room that provides space for classes to be conducted in-house. Furthermore, most staff now have private offices that increase client confidentiality.  Diversion clients provided the labor for moving and painting the new space as part of their community service.

Over the past year, The Office of the Merrimack County Attorney has adapted to the changing environment of law enforcement, the judiciary and corrections, and has grown into an efficient and effective office focused on meeting the needs of the citizens of Merrimack County. We are a proactive office that will continue to explore solutions to the many complex issues that challenge the criminal justice system and affect our community. The staff remains grateful to the citizens of Merrimack County for their support and assistance.

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