Charging

Charges folder view

  • Use the Charges folder to manage charges, plea offers, sentencings, and more.

    Charging

Add a charge

  1. In the Charges dropdown, click Add Charge.

  2. Add a information about the charge.

    Charging

  3. Add victims, location information, or other case numbers.

    Charging

  4. Click Save, Save and Back, or Back.

Race-blind charging

The Race-blind Charging process ensures prosecutors make decisions without conscious or unconscious racial bias. When activated, the Race-blind Charging process involves several steps:

  1. Case creation

  2. Redaction

  3. Approve redacted documents

  4. Initial charging review

  5. Final charging decision

  6. Configure queues using the assignment widget

Case creation

Users who are not in protected security groups should create Cases. These users create and update Cases with all available information. Other users can only interact with the redacted view. The system adds Cases to the redaction queue at creation.

Redaction

After Case creation, participants in the Race Blind Cases Received queue review the case and redact documents:

  1. Navigate to the Dashboard.

  2. Click the Race Blind Case Received queue to show cases waiting for review and redaction.

  3. Click the View Case link next to the case to open.

  4. Select the File Cabinet tab to show Case documents.

  5. Right-click a document and select DocView to open the document for redaction.

    For the best experience:

    1. Create a copy of the document to be redacted. This prevents accidental alteration, and ensures the original document is available after the initial charging decision.

    2. Convert documents to PDF before redacting. Click Convert to PDF in the Actions.

      Convert document to PDF

  6. In the DocView, click Redact at the right. The redaction options include manual redaction using black or white boxes, or Search & Redact to find and redact information in the document.

    Redaction options

Approve redacted documents

Once redaction is complete, approve documents for Race-blind Charging:

  1. In the Charges > Race Blind Charging, select Document Approval to open the Approve Documents for Race-blind Charging screen.

  2. Select documents to approve using the checkboxes next to each document.

  3. Click RBC Ready to add the Case to the Race Blind Charging Review queue.

Initial charging review

Once you approve documents, the system adds the Case to the Race Blind Charging Review queue. Participants in this queue can view the case in a redacted view showing only designated involvements and approved documents.

Redacted view

This redacted view shows when a protected user tries to view a non-exempt case without first completing the initial Race-blind Charging review. This can happen when a protected user wants to update an event on a case, update a document, or case information.

After reviewing the case, participants make an initial charging decision using the following steps:

  1. Click Make Initial RBC Decision in the redacted view.

  2. Answer a short questionnaire to make the initial charging decision.

If an initial charging decision cannot be made, the system asks for more information:

Initial charging decision with extra questions

After the initial charging decision, the unredacted view of the Case shows. Unredacted Case information shows in other locations such as gadgets on the Dashboard or custom searches.

Final charging decision

After the initial charging decision, the reviewer has access to the full, unredacted case. They review the unredacted documents, narratives, notes, charges, and other information to make the final charging decision. The original protected user is then responsible for making the final charging decision:

  1. In the Charges > Race Blind Charging dropdown, select Final Review to open the Final Race-Blind Charging Form screen.

    A summary of the initial review shows along with a few questions for the protected user to answer. If protected used changes the charging decision, the system prompts them to explain the change.

    Final charging decision

    The final charging decision must be made by the same user who made the initial charging decision. If the user who made the initial charging decision is not available, the system reassigns the Case to another user to make a new initial charging decision.

    Resetting the initial review can be done by an unprotected user:

    1. Open the affected Case.

    2. In the Charges > Race Blind Charging dropdown, select Reset Initial Review to open the Reset Initial Race-Blind charges screen.

    3. Click Reset Initial Review.

    The case is now ready for a new protected user to make the initial charging decision.

Configure queues using the assignment widget

Before a user can access their queue, they must add the Assignments widget to their Dashboard:

Add Assignments widget

  1. Navigate to the Dashboard.

  2. Click Edit user settings.

  3. Click + next to Assignments.

  4. Click Close Settings button.

Refer to Race-blind charging for more information on setting up Race-blind Charging and assigning users to queues.

Generate charging language

For all charges on a case

  1. In the Charges dropdown, select Charging language in the Charging group.

    Charging language

  2. Select the charges to generate language for.

  3. Click Auto Generate to generate language for the selected charges without reviewing.

Generate and review before saving

  1. Click Generate and Review to generate language and open the Charging Language Review screen.

  2. Review the language and edit as needed.

  3. Click Confirm to save the language.

Review charging language

You can review charging language from the Charges screen or the Charging Language screen.

Review from the Charges screen

  1. Click the Charges dropdown to open the Charges screen.

  2. Click More info next to the charge to show the charging language:

    Charging Language

Review from the Charging Language screen

  1. In the Charges dropdown, click Charging language from the Charging grouping.

  2. Click Switch to Detailed View on the right side of the Charging Language screen:

    The Switch to Detailed View link

Show charging language history

You can generate and change charging language as many times as desired.

To show the history of charging language changes:

  1. In the Charges dropdown, select Charging language history in the Charging group.

The Charging language history screen shows changes to charging language for each count on the case, with the most recent language at the top.

Prior versions of eProsecutor Online used a separate Statute Text feature to manage charging language. eProsecutor Online deprecated this feature in the November 2024 release in favor of the new Charging Language feature.

Charging decision

  1. Click Charging Decision in the Charges tab.

  2. Select a decision for each charge, select reasons if declining to file, and/or make bulk decisions for all changes.

    Charging

  3. Click Save, Save and Back, or Back.

When using the Charging Decision screen, an attorney must give a reason for using the Decline to File or Replace Charge options.

By default, the only reason available is Insufficient Evidence. Super Users can add more reasons through the CHARGE_DISPOSITION_REASON lookup list.

Find the lookup list by:

  1. Navigate to Left navigation  System Administration  Lookup Lists.

  2. Find the list with one of the following:

    1. Scroll to find the CHARGE_DISPOSITION_REASON lookup list.

    2. Search for the list: enter CHARGE_DISPOSITION_REASON in the Name field.

    3. Search for an item in CHARGE_DISPOSITION_REASON lookup list, then select Search Item.

  3. Click the CHARGE_DISPOSITION_REASON link.

  4. Add, update, or delete reasons as needed.

  5. Click Save.

Add plea offer

  1. Click Add Plea Offer in the Charges tab.

  2. Select plea deal type, status, and add other information.

    Charging

  3. Click Save, Save and Back, or Back.

Add charge characteristic

  1. Click Add Charge Characteristic in the Charges tab.

    One or more charges are required first before adding charge characteristics.

  2. Add a characteristic, type, and a value.

    Charging

  3. Click Save, Save and Back, or Back.

Add charge intoxicant

  1. Click Add Charge Intoxicant in the Charges tab.

    One or more charges are required first before adding charge intoxicants.

  2. Add an intoxicant, level, and a notes.

    Charging

  3. Click Save, Save and Back, or Back.

Add exhibit

  1. Click Add Exhibit in the Charges tab.

  2. Add the information.

Exhibit tracking

  • A location and a directory person can be added to an exhibit.

  • Locations can be added to organizations under the directory.

    Charging

Dispose charges

  1. Click Dispose Charges in the Charges tab.

    One or more charges are required first before disposing a charge.

  2. Select a charge, plea, plea date, disposition type, and a disposition date.

  3. Click Save, Save and Back, or Back.

    Charging

  4. After saving, the charge can be viewed in the Charges tab.

    Charging

Sentencing

  1. Click Sentencing in the Charges tab.

  2. On a charge, add sentencing information.

    Charging

  3. Add conditions, if applicable:

    Charging

  4. Click Save, Save and Back, or Back.