Judge Patrick F. Dugan, president of Philadelphia Municipal Court. Courtesy photo Percentage of 'Guilty' Dispositions Has Plummeted in Philadelphia's Municipal Court
Dismissals and withdrawal of charges have gone up at the same time. Attorneys are wrestling with a number of possible explanations for the trends but there is no definitive take.
April 01, 2022 at 12:52 PM
4 minute read
Philadelphia's Municipal Court has seen a precipitous drop in criminal cases disposed of through guilty pleas or verdicts in recent years, particularly in the years impacted by the pandemic.
The possible factors behind the dramatic decrease are difficult to disentangle, said individuals who work in the criminal justice system. They posited various reasons—in isolation or in combination—that range from shifting priorities to absent witnesses to changes in diversion programs.
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