DA David M. Hoovler Announces that Orange County Assistant District Attorney Conducted State-Wide Training for Prosecutors on Automated Complaint Drafting System Developed and Refined by the New York State Prosecutor’s Training Institute [NYPTI], and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office

April 29, 2020

Assistant District Attorney Ryan Greenbaum, Chief of Orange County’s Early Case Assessment Bureau [ECAB], taught prosecutors from across the State about how the Orange County District Attorney’s Office worked with the New York State Prosecutor’s Training Institute to leverage computer technology to streamline complaint drafting and meet the enhanced discovery obligations required by New York State’s criminal justice reform legislation.

Orange County District Attorney’s Office’s response and procedures to criminal justice reform laws touted as a “Game Changer” and held up as model for other District Attorney’s Offices.

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Thursday, April 23, 2020, Assistant District Attorney Ryan Greenbaum, Chief of Orange County’s recently created Early Case Assessment Bureau [ECAB], taught prosecutors from across the State about how the Orange County District Attorney’s Office is leveraging computer technology to streamline complaint drafting and meet the enhanced discovery obligations required by the criminal justice reform legislation enacted last year. The training “webinar” was put on by the New York State Prosecutor’s Training Institute [NYPTI], which is a state-wide not-for profit corporation created by the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York to provide continuing legal education, training advice and assistance to New York State prosecutors. District Attorney Hoovler is currently the President of New York’s District Attorneys association.

During the training, NYPTI officials touted the procedures and computer tools that the Orange County District Attorney’s Office’s created in response to the criminal justice reform legislation as a model for other District Attorney’s Offices to follow. Specifically, NYPTI officials referred to the automated complaint drafting system that they and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office developed and refined as a “Game Changer”.

In 2019, New York State made comprehensive changes to criminal procedure laws which required prosecutors to provide enhanced information to defense attorneys on an extremely expediated basis. The law also required prosecutors to answer ready for trial and certify that criminal complaints, which up to that time were often drafted by police officers without the aid of attorneys, were legally sufficient. District Attorney Hoovler directed his staff to come up with a strategy that would take full advantage of available technology to take in the huge amounts of information generated by police agencies, efficiently review it, draft appropriate court documents, and disperse it to defense attorneys as the law requires. At the same time, District Attorney Hoovler mandated that his staff review each case to ensure that appropriate applications were made to protect sensitive information which could endanger the public or undercover police officers from disclosure The result was Orange County’s Early Case Assessment Bureau. Assistant District Attorney Ryan Greenbaum was selected as the Bureau Chief of ECAB and tasked with adapting NYPTI’s case management system to draft complaints.

District Attorney Hoovler highly commended Assistant District Attorney Greenbaum for his work in implementing the ECAB concept, and for his work with NYPTI in adapting their complaint drafting system to Orange County’s needs.

“The new laws made it necessary for us and our law enforcement partners to find a way to work faster and more efficiently,” said District Attorney Hoovler. “I am grateful for the close working relationship that we have with our law enforcement agencies. I am proud that the system we have implemented in Orange County is being put forward as a model of cooperation and innovation.”

/ In Crime & Punishment / Comments Off on DA David M. Hoovler Announces that Orange County Assistant District Attorney Conducted State-Wide Training for Prosecutors on Automated Complaint Drafting System Developed and Refined by the New York State Prosecutor’s Training Institute [NYPTI], and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office