Maricopa County Attorney’s Office now requires prison time in gun crime plea deals. But what does that mean? – By Miguel Torres (Arizona Republic) / Sept 3, 2022
The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office changed its policies starting Sept. 2, that will make prison time mandatory to plea agreements on violent gun crimes.
“Violent crime in Maricopa is soaring,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a press release.
Mitchell said her office believes that this change will curb the rising violent crime rate while changing the way these cases are prosecuted and defended. She is the Republican candidate on the November ballot for the county attorney’s seat.
Between Aug. 19 and Aug. 29, 16 homicides had come in for prosecution; 15 involved using a gun, according to the office.
