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Discretion and Major Crimes

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The German Prosecution Service

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Abstract

To this point, this book has detailed how the expansion of prosecutorial discretion in the disposition of low-level crimes has challenged the sacred norm of the “principle of legality.” I have shown how concerns for efficiency, in an era of tight fiscal constraints, have widened the ambit of discretionary case handling practices both, in practice, as well as under the law. As I will detail in Chap. 7, the legislature has also exempted the treatment of delinquent juvenile acts from a strict application of the “principle of legality” according to which prosecutors must initiate action against all criminal acts where sufficient evidence exists to warrant prosecution.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    § 152 StPO.

  2. 2.

    Because of incongruities between the procedure used in collecting police statistics and prosecution statistics, as well as the number of cases dismissed or diverted, it is difficult to state precisely what percent of cases handled by German prosecutors qualify as major crimes.

  3. 3.

    GG Article 20(3).

  4. 4.

    See §§ 407–412 StPO.

  5. 5.

    See §§ 153 et al. StPO.

  6. 6.

    The ratio of cases in which charges were filed to those cases that were disposed of via a penal order or other form of prosecutorial dismissal [i.e. penal orders, Einstellungen (dismissals/deferrals)] with conditions and without conditions, the percentage of cases in which charges were filed approaches 23 %. This calculation is based on the figures provided in STATISTISCHES BUNDESAMT: DEUTSCHLAND. Rechtspflege: Staatsanwaltschaften 2004, at 24. The number of cases in which charges were filed in 2004 was 588,851. The total cases which were disposed of via penal code totaled 623,021, a dismissal with conditions 265,317, and dismissals without condition 1,087,722. The calculation should be considered only as an approximation.

  7. 7.

    Because some cases may be filed in 1 year and adjudicated in the following year, one cannot use the number of cases filed in criminal courts in a particular year as the denominator.

  8. 8.

    § 59 (1) StGB.

  9. 9.

    § 38(2) StGB. A separate provision allows for the extended detention of individuals who pose a security risk.

  10. 10.

    GG Art. 102.

  11. 11.

    Public Prosecutor Interview [4AJ], 6 February 2006.

  12. 12.

    Appellate Judge Interview [13MU], 10 April 2004.

  13. 13.

    Prosecutor Interview [19IC], 14 May 2008.

  14. 14.

    Second Leading Office Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 11 May 2006.

  15. 15.

    Second Leading Office Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 11 May 2006.

  16. 16.

    Senior Public Prosecutor [8HL], 25 May 2006.

  17. 17.

    Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [8AQ], 26 May 2006.

  18. 18.

    Sect. 142 (1) COA.

  19. 19.

    Sect. 142 (1) COA.

  20. 20.

    The organization of prosecution offices parallels the organization of the courts. There is a Generalstaatsanwalt located at each of the 25 regional courts of appeal (Oberlandesgerichte). Some of the Länder possess more than one regional court of appeal. There are 116 district courts (Landgerichte) in Germany. Beneath those courts are the Amtsgerichte.

  21. 21.

    Senior Prosecutor Interview [13AS], 10 June 2004.

  22. 22.

    Senior Prosecutor Interview [2QM], 6 November 2005.

  23. 23.

    Appellate Judge Interview [13MU], 10 April 2004.

  24. 24.

    Deputy Leading Office Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 30 April 2008.

  25. 25.

    Senior Prosecutor Interview [9BU], 4 May 2005.

  26. 26.

    Justice Ministry Official [9RR], 6 May 2006.

  27. 27.

    Senior Prosecutor Interview [25ST], 16 April 2008.

  28. 28.

    Public Prosecutor Interview [13WT], 18 November 2005.

  29. 29.

    Public Prosecutor Interview [7WK], 5 April 2006.

  30. 30.

    Public Prosecutor Interview [8AR], 23 May 2006.

  31. 31.

    Senior Prosecutor Interview [25IFG], 16 April 2008.

  32. 32.

    Deputy Leading Office Prosecutor [16PP], 11 May 2006.

  33. 33.

    Deputy Leading Office Prosecutor [16PP], 11 May 2006.

  34. 34.

    Public Prosecutor Interview [7GC], 6 April 2006.

  35. 35.

    Leading Office Prosecutor Interview [2BN], 16 July 2004.

  36. 36.

    Public Prosecutor Interview [13WT], 18 November 2005.

  37. 37.

    General Prosecutor Interview [11OT], 15 July 2004.

  38. 38.

    Public Prosecutor Interview [12CJ], 29 November 2005.

  39. 39.

    Justice Ministry Official [9CK], 4 May 2006.

  40. 40.

    Senior Paralegal Interview [10ED], 28 June 2006.

  41. 41.

    Deputy Leading Office Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 30 April 2008.

  42. 42.

    Senior Prosecutor Interview [10BJ], 26 June 2006.

  43. 43.

    Senior Prosecutor Interview [7GC], 6 April 2006.

  44. 44.

    Public Prosecutor Interview [12FG], 24 April 2006.

  45. 45.

    Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [5BC], 26 January 2006.

  46. 46.

    Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 30 April 2008.

  47. 47.

    General Public Prosecutor Interview [11OT], 15 July 2004.

  48. 48.

    Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [10FF], 28 June 2006.

  49. 49.

    §153a StPO.

  50. 50.

    Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [10FF], 28 June 2006.

  51. 51.

    Public Prosecutor Interview [12CJ], 29 November 2005.

  52. 52.

    Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [1DR], 15 March 2006.

  53. 53.

    Public Prosecutor Interview [6SB], 23 February 2006.

  54. 54.

    Public Prosecutor [4BI], 3 April 2006.

  55. 55.

    Prosecutor Interview [12LH], 29 November 2005.

  56. 56.

    Senior Prosecutor Interview [10BJ], 26 June 2006.

  57. 57.

    Senior Prosecutor Interview [5BC], 16 January 2006.

  58. 58.

    Prosecutor Interview [3TW], 8 November 2005.

References

Books, Articles and Online Publications

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Law, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

    Shawn Marie Boyne

Authors
  1. Shawn Marie Boyne
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Appendices

Legislation

5.1.1 Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany

Article 20(3)

Article 102

5.1.2 Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO)

§152

§407-412

§153

§153a

5.1.3 Code of Criminal Law (StGB)

§59(1)

§38(2)

5.1.4 Other Laws

Sect. 142 subs. 1 Constitution of Courts Act

Reports/Statistics

Wetzels, P. & Pfeiffer, C. 1996. Regionale Unterschiede der Kriminalitätsbelastung in Westdeutschland: Zur Kontroverse um ein Nord-Süd-Gefälle der Kriminalität. Forschungsberichte Nr. 52Hannover: KFN.

Statistisches Bundesamt: Deutschland, Rechtspflege: Staatsanwaltchaften 2004.

Interviews

Appellate Judge Interview [13MU], 10 April 2004

Deputy Leading Office Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 30 April 2008

Deputy Leading Office Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 11 May 2006

General Prosecutor Interview [11OT], 15 July 2004

Justice Ministry Official Interview [9RR], 6 May 2006

Justice Ministry Official Interview [9CK], 4 May 2006

Leading Office Prosecutor Interview [2BN], 16 July 2004

Public Prosecutor Interview [4AJ], 6 February 2006

Public Prosecutor Interview [13WT], 18 November 2005

Public Prosecutor Interview [7WK], 5 April 2006

Public Prosecutor Interview [8AR], 23 May 2006

Public Prosecutor Interview [7GC], 6 April 2006

Public Prosecutor Interview [12CJ], 29 November 2005

Public Prosecutor Interview [12FG], 24 April 2006

Public Prosecutor Interview [6SB], 23 February 2006

Public Prosecutor Interview [4BI], 3 April 2006

Prosecutor Interview [19IC], 14 May 2008

Prosecutor Interview [12LH], 29 November 2005

Prosecutor Interview [3TW], 8 November 2005

Second Leading Office Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 11 May 2006

Senior Paralegal Interview [10ED], 28 June 2006

Senior Prosecutor Interview [13AS], 10 June 2004

Senior Prosecutor Interview [2QM], 6 November 2005

Senior Prosecutor Interview [25ST], 16 April 2008

Senior Prosecutor Interview [25IFG], 16 April 2008

Senior Prosecutor Interview [10BJ], 26 June 2006

Senior Prosecutor Interview [7GC], 6 April 2006

Senior Prosecutor Interview [5BC], 16 January 2006

Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [8HL], 25 May 2006

Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [8AQ], 26 May 2006

Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [5BC], 26 January 2006

Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 30 April 2008

Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [10FF], 28 June 2006

Senior Public Prosecutor Interview [1DR], 15 March 2006

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Boyne, S.M. (2014). Discretion and Major Crimes. In: The German Prosecution Service. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40928-8_5

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