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Abstract

This Thesis discusses the ‘straight release’ program implemented by the Cleveland Police Department in the late 1990’s. It starts by describing the 24-hour charge or release rule, and how criminals were arrested, released, and arraignment notices were later sent to them by mail. Criminals used aliases to hinder the indictment procedure. Part V discusses national trends in arrest to disposition rates. Parts VI – X discusses Cleveland practices in the criminal justice system. Part XI discusses the effects of failure to identify arrested suspects before releasing them. Part XII describes the chaos of the municipal court. Part XIII discusses the backlogged felony changes resulting from the straight release program. Part XIV discusses the role of the prosecutor’s office, while Part XV talks about the Grand Jury, and Part XVI moves on to the sheriff’s office. Part XVII discusses studies on the rates of failure to appear at arraignment, along with case studies. Part XVIII goes into the methodology and statistics of arraigned cases in Cuyahoga County. Part XIX discusses the tracking system, while part XX gets into the time standards established. Part XXI discusses how the case disposition rate is delayed by common pleas court practices. Part XXII offers a summary of the problems of the Straight Release program. Then part XXIII discusses the possibility for reforming the system, and XXIV gives recommendations for fixing the problems of the Cuyahoga criminal justice system.

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