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Technology and a seemingly endless appeals process are driving up the cost of prosecuting criminal cases.
Prosecutors and government officials face abiding by the public's demand for justice while balancing fiscal responsibility for the taxes paid by the same people who seek punishment for criminals.
"Costs are always going up," says Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. Luzerne County's district attorney. "The public wants law enforcement to do everything humanly possible to solve crimes, but the costs are very expensive."
The count's prosecution of Joann Curley examples this situation.
Joann Curley pleaded guilty last month to third-degree murder after admitting she poisoned her husband, Robert, by placing thallium-based rat poison in drinks he ingested at least 12 times during the course of their 13-month marriage. Robert Curley died in September 1991.
Curley was charged with first-degree murder when arrested Dec. 12 and faced the death penalty.
Frank Nocito, Curley's lead defense attorney, sought a plea bargain, according to reports, because of incriminating forensic evidence against Curley that was obtained in January. Curley's weak testimony at a hearing on pre-trial motions in June also prompted the plea bargain, according to reports.
The plea bargain made with Olszewski's office and approved by Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Patrick J. Toole Jr. issued Curley a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. According to Olszewski's office, Curley must serve a minimum of 10 years in prison before she can be considered for parole. According to previous reports, the wishes of Robert Curley's family convinced him to accept the plea.
The plea bargain avoided a trial by jury and its associated costs.
Olszewski has defended his plea bargain agreement despite public criticism. Although he points out the county built a good case against Curley, Olszewski also points out there was no guarantee the county would have successfully convicted the defendant. Curley could have been found not guilt -- and an undetermined amount of money and resources would have been spent.
"This would have been the most expensive case in the history of Luzerne County," Olszewski says, but adds that fiscal matters were not the issue that lead to the plea bargain. "We'll spend whatever we have to spend to obtain justice. But cost would have been a...