Victim’s Rights Unit
In 1985 the State of Michigan enacted the Crime Victim’s Rights Act. As a result, victims of crime have the statutory right to representation in the criminal justice system. To better protect these rights of victims, our office has established the Victim's Rights Unit to assist victims in understanding and exercising these rights. The attorneys and staff of the St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office are committed to the public safety of our community and the pursuit of justice in our court system. The staff of the Victim's Rights Unit serve as an independent advocate for crime victims in our county, providing information and services to assure these rights are protected. Please review the following information and contact the Victim’s Rights Unit to take advantage of your rights.
Witness Unit
The Witness Unit coordinates and assists witnesses by maintaining up to date contact information, informing witnesses of appearance dates, making necessary accommodations to facilitate a witness’s appearance and answering questions a witness may have.
Criminal Sexual Conduct Unit
The Criminal Sexual Conduct Unit (CSC Unit) prosecutes those criminal cases that involve victims requiring special attention. Victims of abuse who are under the age of 16, elderly, or have special characteristics exploited by a suspect/defendant are matched with prosecution staff who can best prosecute their case. The CSC unit advocates for these special victims throughout the court system on a one-on-one basis to minimize the stress and anxiety that can be felt by a victim of an assaultive crime. Staff members assigned to the CSC Unit are selected based upon their training, experience, and ability to effectively represent our most vulnerable victims.
Drug Task Force
The Drug Task Force (DTF) is a unit that specializes in the investigation and enforcement of drug activity in St. Clair County in an effort to detect and eliminate drug trafficking within the county. It also serves to assist local departments with surveillance and information gathering by taking a proactive approach to law enforcement in attempts to eliminate the crime that surrounds drug use and trafficking in St. Clair County. The unit has a dedicated assistant prosecutor who handles DTF cases from the initial stages of the investigation through trial. The DTF assistant prosecutor is available 24/7 for assistance to the unit and works closely with the unit to ensure its goal to effectively eliminate drug trafficking in St. Clair County.
Neighborhood Enforcement Team
The Neighborhood Enforcement Team is a joint initiative between the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, the Port Huron Police Department, and the St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office in an effort to respond to major violent crimes. It utilizes both proactive and reactive enforcement tactics in an effort toward the suppression and solution of serious violent crimes anywhere within St. Clair County. It is composed of experienced police officers from both law enforcement departments which work closely with a designated assistant prosecutor from the onset of an investigation through the final stages of prosecution. This “team” approach has proven very successful relating to the many violent crimes which have been solved and successfully prosecuted due to the efforts of this unit.
Mental Health Court
The St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office participates in the review and determination of individuals who are charged with crimes and who also have serious mental health concerns. These individuals are considered for placement in a Mental Health Court program in which intensive terms of probation are mandated, including but not limited to counseling and drug testing. Only those individuals who have a serious mental health illness and are convicted of a misdemeanor are eligible for this program.
Child Abuse/Parental Neglect
The St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office has a contract with the Michigan Department of Human Services to represent the agency and prosecute cases of child abuse and parental neglect. This includes petitions to terminate parental rights where the abuse or neglect is serious and/or long standing.
Cooperative Reimbursement Program (CRP)
The St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office has a contract with the Michigan Department of Human Services to enforce child support obligations and to establish paternity in those cases in which public assistance is received by the custodial parent or cases that are referred by the State of Michigan to our office. Once paternity has been established, cases are then handled primarily by St. Clair County Friend of Court to determine issues involving custody and support.