Page 75 - Middleborough 2024 Town Report

M I D D L E B O R O U G H
POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Police Prosecutor is the liaison between the Town
of Middleborough, the District Attorney’s Ofice and
the Courts. In 2024, the prosecutor presented 297
cases to the court by way of Magistrate hearings and
also facilitated 46 Civil Motor Vehicle Citation appeal
hearings. The District Attorney’s Ofice requested
and received Discovery for 389 criminal cases.
Discovery is any and all evidence pertaining to the
particular criminal matter that is in the possession of
the department. The prosecutor is responsible for
compiling all of the evidence and creating an archive
of that evidence so that it can be presented to the
District Attorney’s Ofice. A duplicate copy is also
created that is turned over to defense counsel to
facilitate transparent and fair legal proceedings.
detention area. These videos, along with the body
camera videos are oten requested in advance of
prosecution of the case. To ensure completeness of the
discovery request, audio and video files are located,
viewed, and recorded for each case, and are
accompanied by all related police reports, booking
paperwork, detainee forms (Miranda rights, meal
form, medication dispensary form), breathalyzer
documents (if applicable), photographs, State Police
crime laboratory submission receipts (biological
evidence, narcotics, etc.), State Police crime laboratory
certificates of analysis, victim/witness information
and statements, motor vehicle inventory reports as
well as all certificates of compliance for the various
instruments the police department uses to collect our
evidence. Additionally, video, audio or photograph
evidence may be obtained and archived with this
department from external sources to be used in the
prosecution of a case (ring cameras, store surveillance,
screenshots from victim, etc.).
Discovery may be presented in various forms, both
tangible evidence and intangible evidence. Tangible
evidence, commonly referred to and accepted as
“physical” evidence, may be an item, belongings, even
articles of clothing collected at a scene belonging to a
suspect, victim, or witness. Intangible evidence, such
as audio evidence is also critical to the prosecution of
the department’s cases. Audio evidence, such as
phone calls to and from our business line, the 911
system and/or our radio transmissions connected
with each case can provide vital information or
timelines of an incident. Also, commonly requested is
video evidence pertaining to each criminal matter.
Since the implementation of body camera’s in
December of 2021, we have experienced an increased
volume of discovery requests for those videos, as well
as videos archived from the stations surveillance
system. The station is comprised of a system that
afords the ability to capture video including;
detainee arrival, booking processes, the detention
area, and also interview rooms, both public and in the
In addition to the investigatory eforts of our
department personnel, we work closely with the
Plymouth County Sherrif’s Department to utilize
services such as their Bureau of Criminal Investigation
(BCI). They commonly respond scenes or the station to
identify, photograph and collect forensic evidence, or
assist in the processing and identification of a
detainee. BCI is also outfitted with a laboratory which
commonly analyzes articles of evidence to include;
finger prints, computers and cell phone data.
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