Mesa County District Attorney’s data dashboard report on sexual assault
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KREX) — Crimes involving sexual offenses are very complex and have enormous outcomes, often resulting in serious jail time. Trish Mahre, Mesa County’s assistant district attorney, talked about the new data dashboard that the DA’s office established last summer. The dashboard allows the public to track specific Mesa County crimes and creates quarterly reports on different crimes.
Mahre says that Mesa County takes sexual assault crimes very seriously and the data on the dashboard reflects that. The statistics reveal an increase in hearing times. Mahre also said that this is due to the complexity of these cases and the magnitude of the outcomes. The data also details a dramatic decrease in the amount of time from when the victim files the case to the time the DA makes contact with the victim. Mahre says that all the attorneys the DA has handling sexual assault cases are highly qualified.
Mahre says her prosecutors are constantly attending seminars to enhance their knowledge and ensure they are well-equipped to handle each case.
Mahre says that because children are often victims of sexual assault, it’s difficult when cases go to trial. She said that along with their qualified staff, the DA’s office wields a secret weapon to help give victims who take the stand courage. Her name is Rachael, and she’s a beautiful black lab. Rachael accompanies any victim who feels nervous to take the stand. She often stays hidden by their feet for the duration of the time they testify. Trish credits several victims’ success on the stand to Rachael’s calming presence, contributing to the Mesa County DA’s successful record of convincing juries beyond a reasonable doubt to put dangerous perpetrators behind bars.
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