CITIZENS’ COURT WATCH

Factors like an over-populated jail, a community that is not engaged, or a de-prioritization of certain crimes by the justice system can lead to light sentencing and a rise in repeat offenders with a heightened sense of impunity for their potential success in Midtown.  What may appear to a judge or prosecutor to be a routine case could be part of a larger safety concern for the community.  When judges see that members of the community are concerned enough to appear in court and provide impact statements, they give extra attention to critical case details that can inform effective sentencing.  With our presence, judges and prosecutors better understand that we depend on them in our efforts to preserve a safe community.

For several years now, MNA’s Court Watch program has been a key strategy and crucial tool for our efforts to preserve a safe community.  This program becomes more effective with time.  In the long run, criminals will steer clear of our neighborhood once they understand that the Midtown community will proactively pursue their cases.

MNA’s Court Watch team works closely with APD Zone 5 & 6 Commanders and Community Prosecutors to create and maintain an internal database of criminal cases to track through the judicial system.  While we consider each arrest in Midtown and apply our best judgement, all violent crimes and criminals with lengthy arrest records are immediately added to the database.  If you have been affected by a crime in Midtown and would like MNA’s assistance in tracking the case, please email us safety@midtownatlanta.org.  We are here to help.

Check above for our current requests for impact statements and court appearances.

It is important to note that we are not witnesses in the case at hand and our role does not entail official sworn testimony.  Any conviction in a criminal case must be reached on its own merits following the standard of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Our role only comes into play during the sentencing phase – once a conviction is established.  During the trial phase, a defendant may enter a plea and the case will then enter the sentencing phase if they plead guilty.  In other cases, either a judge or a jury must first convict the defendant before the case enters the sentencing phase.

During the sentencing phase, we may be granted the opportunity by the presiding judge to submit community impact statements on behalf of the Midtown community.

SUBMIT A COMMUNITY IMPACT STATEMENT

If you feel a particular crime / criminal is of significant concern for your family or our community, we encourage you to complete a Community Impact Statement.  This statement is a letter written by you about your personal experiences and concerns that is read aloud to the judge during the court proceedings.  It can be read by you or it can be read by the Community Prosecutor.  It is your choice.  Click here to learn more information about Community Impact Statements and download a sample letter.

VOLUNTEER TO APPEAR IN COURT

We coordinate a pool of court watch volunteers who are willing to attend court hearings and need as many volunteers as possible.  While a pool of about 20-25 potential participants would be optimal, we normally only require about 4-6 volunteers to attend an individual hearing. One person knowledgeable about the case in question may be designated a spokesperson for the group.

Hearings very often come up on short notice.  We work quickly with our Court Watch volunteers for a handful of attendees to be present.  Not all volunteers can make every hearing.  The larger our pool of volunteers, the more effective we can be at having a presence every time we need it.  The requests for appearance fluctuate with the crime patterns in the neighborhood.