GOSHEN – Orange County outperformed the Mid-Hudson region in felony and misdemeanor conviction rates while resolving fewer criminal cases in favor of defendants, according to new statistics released by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler said the figures reflect the effectiveness of the county’s prosecutors and law enforcement agencies, citing high relative conviction and sentencing rates in both felony and misdemeanor cases compared with regional averages.
The statistics also continue a years-long trend that followed New York’s sweeping criminal justice reforms, which took effect in 2020, and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoovler said.
According to the district attorney, his office restructured its operations in 2019 in anticipation of the reforms, implementing a digital discovery system and creating an Early Case Assessment Bureau to help comply with the state’s discovery requirements. Hoovler said the bureau was the first of its kind established by a district attorney’s office outside New York City.
Hoovler also credited the cooperation of local police agencies in adapting to the changes.
“It is through dedicated investigation, collaboration between and amongst law enforcement agencies, and the skilled tenacity of career prosecutors that we continue to see positive outcomes in Orange County,” Hoovler said. “The figures published by DCJS demonstrate what we already know: that the fair administration of justice can be accomplished by professionals who constantly aspire to that goal.”
The district attorney said his office’s use of technology and collaboration with law enforcement have helped maintain strong prosecutorial outcomes while meeting the requirements of the state’s criminal justice reforms.
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