The Maricopa County Attorney is dedicated to the vigorous prosecution of those who commit crimes within the county. As the chief advocate for the State and the citizens of the community in criminal matters, the County Attorney seeks to provide the highest quality service and maintain the integrity of the criminal justice system. Criminals must be held accountable, while assuring that the statutory rights and emotional needs of victims and witnesses are properly addressed. Additionally, the County Attorney seeks to implement, promote and participate in programs that reduce crime and enhance the quality of community life. The County Attorney also contributes to excellence in local government by providing complete legal services to the county, its officers and various political subdivisions.

The Maricopa County Public Defender’s Office provides tremendous value to the community by serving an important public safety function. We seek effective dispositions for addressing the underlying problems that contribute to our clients' criminal behavior, thus providing them with their best chance to become productive and law-abiding individuals. Its mission is to provide quality legal representation to indigent individuals assigned to us by the court, thus safeguarding the fundamental legal rights of each member of the community.

Maricopa County has experienced remarkable population growth for decades, and will continue to do so. But while expanding metro areas tend to pay close attention to physical infrastructure—diligently budgeting for roads, sewers, schools and the like—there is often a relative lack of attention to meeting the future demands for human services. Relying on the expertise from throughout the College of Public Programs, this report analyzes 12 critically important topics, including children and families, poverty, substance abuse, and Latinos.