Payment processing tech improves criminal case “discovery digital media fee” processing

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

Paying for police reports, and other case information, is now easier at the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office thanks to new credit card acceptance technology. After a suspect is charged with a crime, a defendant has the right to information about the charges, including police reports, blood test results, police car dashcam video, retail store loss prevention videos or other security camera video, 911 telephone call audio, photographs of crime scenes, a list of witnesses, and other information. In a criminal court case, this information is called, “Discovery.” Discovery is the process through which defendants and the prosecutor learn about information each side has that is relevant to a case. The Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office now accepts all major credit cards, even Apple Pay, and is believed to be the first Michigan prosecuting attorney to accept credit card payments for discovery fees. The system integrates with iPads. This service also allows supervisors, at a glance, to monitor the transactions and revenue in real-time. Cases are resolved more promptly when relevant discovery information is available to the parties more quickly, and accepting credit card payments can reduce the time it takes to process discovery requests.