MAYVILLE – County District Attorneys across New York State will have a difficult time meeting the demands of new state laws that shape how fast they have to share discovery information, according to Chautauqua County District Attorney Patrick Swanson.
“We’re about to have a set of requirements placed on our office, beginning January first, that by-and-large are far more resource necessary,” Swanson told WNYNewsNow‘s Matt Hummel. “What we’re going to see is the turnover in our obligations accelerated. We will be requited to turn over case file information, witness information, chemical tests, DNA tests, all in a period of time that right now the District Attorneys Association is looking for a way to meet those obligations.”
Swanson warned that most District Attorneys do not have the resources to meet the new requirements.
“Given the accelerated nature, there are some real concerns with the resources that most offices have or the lack of resources that most offices have across the state that those obligations are going to be very difficult if not impossible to satisfy,” he said.
in the end, the new justice reform rules will change the face of prosecutions in New York, Swanson explained.
“Obviously, there’s a concerted effort right now in the District Attorneys Association to figure out a plan on how to best handle the new laws that have been passed and right now we’re looking at almost a complete reshaping of our criminal justice system as far as the prosecution side is concerned,” he said.
Matt Hummel contributed to this article.
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