To read the report, visit Caseloads of the Courts of Washington
Clark County Superior Court’s criminal caseload has climbed for a second consecutive year, while the court’s overall number of cases declined, according to an annual report on Washington state courts.
The number of homicide counts alone doubled between 2011 and 2012, according to the report, released this week by the state Supreme Court.
Cases and counts are not an accurate tally of the amount of crime in the county, said Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney John Fairgrieve. That’s because not all suspects are apprehended, which could deflate the numbers, and because multiple cases can be filed for one crime when there are multiple defendants, Fairgrieve said. However, cases can cast light on possible trends, including prosecution of crimes. The annual report primarily gives court officials and administrators a gauge of how efficiently they resolve cases, Fairgrieve said.