Homicide Unit

Homicide has a profound and far-reaching impact on a community, instilling fear and grief among residents while disrupting the sense of safety and cohesion. The loss of life can lead to emotional trauma, heightened anxiety, and a pervasive feeling of vulnerability, often diminishing the community's overall quality of life. A strong response from the District Attorney's Office plays a crucial role in mitigating these effects. By swiftly pursuing justice through thorough investigations, prosecutions, and securing convictions, the District Attorney's office can restore a sense of order and accountability. This decisive action not only deters future crimes but also reassures the community that justice will be served, fostering trust in the legal system and contributing to the community's healing and resilience.

The Homicide Division within the District Attorney's Office is responsible for prosecuting cases involving homicide or other serious violent crimes. This division is made up of experienced prosecutors who have specialized knowledge and training in the investigation and prosecution of homicide cases.

The Homicide Division works closely with law enforcement agencies to investigate and gather evidence related to homicide cases. This involves reviewing police reports, witness statements, physical evidence, and other information that may be relevant to the case. Homicide prosecutors also work with crime scene investigators and forensic experts to reconstruct the crime scene and gather additional evidence that may be used to build a case. Once the investigation is complete, they evaluate the evidence and determine whether charges should be filed. If charges are filed, they will prosecute the case in court. This may involve calling witnesses, cross-examining defense witnesses, and presenting other evidence to the jury.

They work closely with victims, witnesses, and their families. This involves providing support and assistance to victims and their families throughout the investigation and prosecution of the case. Homicide prosecutors also work with the District Attorney Victim-Witness Unit advocates to ensure that victims, witnesses, and their families are aware of their rights and can access the support and services they need.

The Homicide Division also makes a concerted effort to conduct outreach and education related to homicide prevention and prosecution. This may include working with community groups and organizations to raise awareness about the consequences of violent crime and the importance of reporting crimes to law enforcement.

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Officer-Involved Critical Incident Investigations

The District Attorney heads the San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office and is the Chief Law Enforcement Officer in San Joaquin County.  The District Attorney's Office holds the significant responsibility of investigating officer-involved incidents, a duty that is crucial for maintaining public trust and ensuring justice. When law enforcement officers are involved in incidents such as shootings or the use of force resulting in serious injury or death, the DA's office must conduct thorough, impartial investigations to determine the legality and appropriateness of the officers' actions. This involves meticulously gathering and reviewing evidence, interviewing witnesses, and collaborating with independent investigative bodies when necessary. The DA's office must balance transparency with the need to maintain the integrity of the investigation, providing the public with timely and accurate information.

The responsibility of the District Attorney is, "within his or her discretion," to "initiate and conduct on behalf of the people all prosecutions for public offenses." (Cal. Government Code § 26500.)

The mission of the SJCDA Office's Officer-Involved Critical Incident Unit is to ensure that such cases are investigated in an independent, fair, thorough, and expeditious manner to ensure justice and maintain public trust.

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Post-Conviction Review Unit

The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office (SJCDA) is committed to ensuring fairness, protecting public safety, and promoting justice. In pursuit of these goals, we must always seek the truth and justice, even after a conviction occurs. The San Joaquin County District Attorney's Office seeks to accomplish these goals through the work of a unit designed to review post-conviction issues.

Accordingly, on January 1, 2019, the SJCDA created a Post-Conviction Review Unit (PCRU). The PCRU was created to address several laws and appellate court cases that have greatly expanded the post-conviction relief available to California defendants. These areas include:

• Conviction Review (Innocence and Wrongful Conviction Claims)
• Sentence Review (Discretionary District Attorney Recall & Resentencing Petitions -Assembly Bill 2942)
• Accomplice liability for murder under either theory of felony murder or "natural and probable consequences" (Senate Bill 1437)
• Habeas Corpus in Special Circumstances Cases (People v Banks)
• Habeas Corpus in Capital Cases (Proposition 66)
• Personal Firearm Use Resentencing Hearings (Senate Bill 620)
• Serious Felony Prior Resentencing Hearings (Senate Bill 1393)
• Reduced Crimes Resentencing (Proposition 47)
• Marijuana Legalization (Proposition 64 and Senate Bill 1793)
• Youthful Offender Sentencing Hearings (People v. Franklin)
• Early Parole Eligibility & Release (Proposition 57)

 

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