The Taney County Prosecutor’s office is launching a new website. The beta site was registered last week in response to overwhelming press demands following reports of a drug bust at Welchel’s Funeral Home last week.
Prior to being elected Taney County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Merrill stated the possibility of launching a blog if elected. The project was put on the back burner as catching up on a backlog of untried cases took top priority. The high influx of phone calls and public inquiries regarding the Welchel case prompted site creation to become a top priority.
Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christopher W. Lebeck designed and coded the site for ease of use. Wordpress, an open source blogging platform, enables administrators to publish content quickly and ensures the site’s content and technology will remain current. Lebeck was recruited to the Taney County Prosecutor’s office after serving in the prosecution’s office for Greene County.
A main focus of the prosecutor’s office is to serve those harmed by crime. After completion, the site will be able to service victims with information about their case. Additional functionality has been planned. In the future, the site will have online forms for those for victims to receive information about their case. Those harmed through illegal activity have rights greater than the general public. As a standard practice of Merrill’s administration judges are asked to refrain from releasing accused criminals on bail before victims are contacted. The policy enables feedback and protection to those who may be in a position of vulnerability from perpetrators. Merrill intends to aggressively pursue parties who try to thwart legal processes through intimidation or threat and wants to make sure residents are assured safety after reporting crime.
Merrill’s management approach relies on processes over policy. Having a website that encourages communication, relays vital information to the public, saves commute time and simplifies filings adds an asset to citizens in their greatest time of need. For most people, dealing with the prosecuting attorney’s office is rare. Tools to improve methods of interaction serves not only the office but those in a time of need.
First post over $41K in restitution recovered...this doesn't include bad checks.
***Video Clip from Greene County Prosecutor's office is being uploaded...stay tuned
