104 Anchorage homicide defendants included in court backlog, 21 are released on bail
There are more people charged with homicide released on bail in Anchorage than the number of homicides reported in 2023. There have been more than 100 people charged with homicide in Anchorage, Alaska, who have not yet completed the entire court process, creating a long backlog of cases for the court system. The majority of the cases have occurred since 2016, and 21 are out on bail. The backlog is due largely to canceled trials during the COVID-19 pandemic, staff shortages in the District Attorney's office, the Public Defender Agency’s office, and shortages. The Alaska Constitution requires judges to offer bail on all cases except when someone violates their probation or the case falls under federal court, and there are also statutes that outline what the court considers when determining conditions of release. Despite this backlog, the court is still trying to make sure that the most dangerous people aren't getting out of the ones that are getting out.
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Publicerad : 2 år sedan förbi Joe Cadotte i General
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - There have been more than 100 people charged with homicide in Anchorage who have not yet completed the entire court process, creating a long backlog of cases for the court system.
These cases differ from unsolved homicides — unresolved homicides are cases where a defendant has been charged with homicide but has not yet gone to trial, reached a plea agreement, or been sentenced. One case goes as far back as 1995, but according to Assistant District Attorney Patrick McKay, the majority of the cases have occurred since 2016.
In addition, there are more people charged with homicide and released on bail in Anchorage — 21 — than the number of homicides that have been reported in the municipality this year — 17— according to state and municipal officials.
“I can understand why it’s concerning for any member of the public to hear those sorts of numbers,” said McKay, who supervises the Major Crimes Unit at the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office. “Without knowing the specifics of those 21 cases that are out on conditions of release, I don’t think it’s any cause to panic.”
The individuals charged with homicide who are out on bail include people charged with manslaughter and first- and second-degree murder.
“When the court is determining what conditions to set and what monetary bail to set, one of the primary factors that it’s considering is public safety,” McKay said. “There may be times when we disagree with the court or when the defense disagrees with the court.”
The Alaska Constitution requires judges to offer bail on all cases except when someone violates their probation or the case falls under federal court. There are also statutes that outline what the court considers when determining conditions of release.
“The court is looking at each of these cases individually,” McKay said. “They’re looking at the individual circumstances in that case and they’re deciding, primarily I think, in a lot of situations of ‘Is this enough to protect the public?’”
“I’m sure that there are cases in which the calculated risk didn’t necessarily pan out and we do have cases ... where you’ll find people that are out on conditions of release — not necessarily just homicide cases, but other types of cases — where they’re out on conditions of release and they’re picking up new criminal charges,” he added.
The 21 people charged with homicide who are out on bail are among 104 pending homicide defendants across 90 homicide events, McKay said.
That backlog, McKay said. is due largely to canceled trials during the COVID-19 pandemic, staff shortages in the District Attorney’s office, the Public Defender Agency’s office as well as shortages in the Office of Public Advocacy. The backlog, McKay said, is also because of spikes in homicides in 2016 and 2017.
“Somebody who’s suffered a tragedy of losing a loved one and then hoping to have a quick resolution to that, it just prolongs what they’re going through,” McKay said. “Oftentimes when I’m talking to victims of homicide cases, I try to be upfront and let them know that this is not a fast process.”
The backlog isn’t as high this year as it was last year, McKay said, as his office is currently resolving more homicide cases than it is accumulating them.
“We’ve probably resolved, either through trial or through plea, more homicides than we’ve had charged,” he said. “It’s frustrating that we have a number, that we have this many cases ongoing, but that’s what we’re here for. That’s why we’re doing this job, is to come and handle these types of cases.”
McKay was asked what his message would be to people who might not feel safe when they hear about the number of unresolved homicide cases in Anchorage.
“I would tell them, everybody’s trying their best,” he said. “We’re trying to get these numbers down. The court system is doing its best. The court system is obviously taking calculated risks based off the information they have and trying to make sure that the most dangerous people aren’t the ones that are getting out.”
Ämnen: Crime, Alaska, Anchorage, Murder