A mistake has been discovered and it’s left some victims of crimes and even law enforcement officials at risk.
Judges issuing warrants in the state have accidentally been giving wanted suspects a heads up. District Attorney George Brauchler first heard about the problem from law enforcement.
Brauchler’s office investigated how many people accused of crimes received arrest warrants and witness lists in the mail. They ended up identifying about 100 cases. Brauchler says suspects then wind up knowing who the witnesses are who made the accusations. They also get an early warning that law enforcement officials are looking for them.
When the state courts realized there was a problem, they sent notifications to victims in all of the impacted cases. Now, they’re trying to connect them with victim’s advocates to try and keep them safe.
