Prosecuting a criminal case is hard work, as Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre is well aware.
While on WOMT’S Be My Guest Program, a listener called in to ask how LaBre and her team go about collecting information on a case.
The DA first explained that her team’s job is so hard because they have a different burden to meet than police officers do.
“Police officers have one standard for an arrest,” she explained. “They need to have probable cause that someone PROBABLY committed that crime. We have a different standard. We have to prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt.”
As for the actual collection of data, LaBre said that her team uses the police reports, any available body camera, surveillance or witness video, and witness statements to form their case against the defendant. With witness statements, there is more to it than simply reading what the witness said they saw.
“We look at what they saw, what their vantage point was, is it a neutral person,” LaBre said. “Sometimes things happen in front of someone who doesn’t know any party.”
The caller also asked how the District Attorney and her team keep their own emotions and opinions out of the courtroom.
“It’s challenging sometimes, but we have to have to have a very analytical view of cases,” LaBre stated. “We have to put away our personal feelings and look at the facts. Some cases are easier than others, but we have ethical standards we have to reach, and that’s what we have to keep in mind when we are evaluating the facts.”
She went on to say that they simply need to focus on meeting their burden, presenting the facts, and doing the right thing.
