Maricopa County prosecutors forced to drop 180 idle cases

PHOENIX (AP) — Prosecutors in Arizona’s most populous county have dropped nearly 200 criminal cases because charges weren’t filed before the statute of limitation ran out.

Ryan Green, a division chief in the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, told The Arizona Republic that a supervisor never delegated 180 cases to prosecutors.

The cases include drunk driving, domestic violence, assaults and criminal damage incidents that happened in 2020.

Most of them were initiated by the Arizona Department of Public Safety and the county sheriff’s office.

Green says a staffing shortage and high volume of cases contributed to the issue.

County Attorney Allister Adel says this does not reflect her ability to do her job.