Public Data Dashboard

Definitions

A B C D E F G H I M N O P R S T U V W Y

 
A
Aggravated Assault

An attack by one person on another with the purpose of inflicting severe or grievous injury. Generally a weapon is involved, although it is possible to have an aggravated assault that does not include a weapon. Attempted homicide (e.g. a shooting that does not result in death) is classified as Aggravated Assault by the police in incident and arrest data.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was any of the following:

Aggravated Assault/Gun

Aggravated assault where a gun is used. The gun does not have to be fired for the offense to be classified as an aggravated assault/gun. This classification is only found in the Incidents Report

Aggravated Assault/Other

Any aggravated assault that does not involve a gun. This classification is only found in the Incidents Report

Alcohol Offenses

Offenses regarding the sale or consumption of alcohol, such as the sale of liquor without a license.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

Alcohol Possession by Minor

A person under 21 years old in possession of alcohol.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

All Offenses

All Offenses is a summary category for offenses of any crime category.

Altered Firearm Serial Number

Illegally altering or destroying the serial number on a firearm or possessing a firearm with an altered or destroyed serial number.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

Arrest

An arrest is an action by the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) in which a person is apprehended and taken into custody on the suspicion of the commission of a crime.

Arrest Rate

The proportion of incidents that result in at least one arrest by the Police.

Note that our front-page shooting arrest rates looks at one year of incidents, lagged by 3-months, and arrests through today. If the arrest rate were calculated on October 1, 2022, we would look at incidents that occurred between July 1, 2021 and July 1, 2022 and arrests made between July 1, 2021 and October 1, 2022. We do this because it can take some time for the police to make an arrest in a shooting because of the intense investigation needed. For more details on the background and rationale of our arrest rate calculation, see this data story.

Arson

Starting or aiding in the starting of a fire or explosion. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was: 18 Pa.C.S. § 3301.

Attempted Murder

An unsuccessful attempt by one person to kill another. On the Dashboard, only cases are classified as attempted homicide because the police, tend to classify these incidents aggravated assaults when aresting a person.

Attempted Murder are cases that are charged under one of the below homicide statutes, with an additional charge for attempt. The attempt charge is generaly refered to as an inchoate offense of Criminal Attempt (18 Pa.C.S. § 901).

Auto Theft

The theft of an automobile. This does not include armed theft of an automobile, which is classified as Carjacking.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was any of the following:

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B
Bail

A set of pre-trial conditions placed upon the accused to allow them to be released from custody while awaiting trial. The purpose of the conditions are to reasonably ensure public safety.

In Philadelphia, people often receive monetary bail conditions (e.g., $10,000), meaning they must pay the Commonwealth some set amount of money to be released from custody while awaiting trial. When the accused successfully completes their trial without missing any appearances or otherwise violating their bail conditions, their money is returned. If they fail to meet their bail conditions, they may lose their bail money. When a person is given cash bail, they can often pay 10% of the full amount (also called “bond”), but will owe the full amount if they violate their bail conditions.

Burglary

The unlawful entering of a building with the intention of committing a crime. Burglary is generally broken down as residential burglary (for homes) and commercial burglary (for non-residential properties).

Burglary/Commercial

Burglary of a commercial building. On the dashboard, this includes arrests where the most serious recommended charge was 18 Pa.C.S. § 3502 and the associated incident was identified by the police as a commercial burglary. It includes cases where the most serious charge was 18 Pa.C.S. § 3502 and the charge was graded as a second degree felony.

Burglary/Residential

Burglary of a residential building. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests where the most serious recommended charge was 18 Pa.C.S. § 3502 and the associated incident was identified by the police as a residential burglary. It includes cases where the most serious charge was 18 Pa.C.S. § 3502 and the charge was graded as a first degree felony.

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C
Carjacking

Robbery of a motor vehicle from a victim. This is different than Auto Theft because the victim is present. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 3702.

Case Length

Refers to the total number of days between the date of arrest and the date of resolution whether through withdrawal, dismissal, diversion, plea or verdict. It does not include the time to sentence or to the pending resolution of any post-trial proceedings such as direct appeals or collateral attacks on a sentence. If a person wins an appeal or collateral attack and a new resolution is entered on the case, the time to that new disposition is measured in lieu of the time between their arrest and intial resolution.

Charges

A charge is an accusation by the Commonwealth that a person has committed a crime. Although a case often involves more than one charge, our Charge Report only looks at the most serious offense charged in each criminal case.

In Philadelphia, the DAO, not the police, is responsible for deciding whether to charge an individual. Generally speaking, police investigate a case and present their investigation to the DAO. The DAO then determines whether there is enough evidence to file criminal charges and what charges should be filed. It is common that a person is charged with multiple offenses in a single criminal case. For example, Simple Assault is often charged at the same time as Recklessly Endangering Another Person.

Criminal Mischief

Tampering with the property of another person. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 3304.

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D
DAO

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office

Dismissed: CP

A charge that has been dismissed by a judge in the Court of Common Pleas but without further information from the court for the reason for the dismissal. A charge that has been dismissed may also be refiled, but that motion to refile can be denied by a judge. A case dismissed in the Court of Common Pleas is generally a felony that has passed the ‘preliminary hearing.’

Dismissed: Defendant Deceased

If the Defendant dies while the case is pending the case is closed. This is technically called an ‘Abatement’ by the courts.

Dismissed: Lack of Evidence

A charge is dismissed for lack of evidence (LOE) when a judge determines that the Commonwealth has not presented enough evidence to prove each element of of the charged criminal offense. As opposed to a withdrawal, which is when the DAO decides to not pursue a charge, a dismissal is an action by a judge. A charge that has been dismissed LOE may also be refiled, but that motion to refile can be denied by a judge. Dismissal LOE virtually always happens in Municipal Court, regardless of whether the case is a felony or a misdemeanor.

Dismissed: MC

A charge that has been dismissed by a judge in Municipal Court but without further information from the court as to the reason for the dimssal. A charge that has been dismissed may be refiled, but that motion to refile can be denied by a judge. A case dismissed in Municipal Court may be a misdemeanor or may be a felony, prior to passing a ‘preliminary hearing.’

Dismissed/Withdrawn: Other

A case that has been dismissed or withdrawn for an unknown reason.

Dismissed/Withdrawn/Etc

The catchall category in our data for cases that are ‘dropped’ at some point in the process. Some common reasons a case can be dropped include:

  • Withdrawal/Nolle Prosequi: a voluntary decision by the DAO to end prosecution in an individual case.
  • Dismissal: a decision by the judge to end prosecution in an individal case.

We do not include cases that were ‘Withdrawn in the Interest of Justice’ in this category.

Disorderly Conduct

A catchall offense where a person, with the intent to inconvenience, annoy, or alarm members of the public: fights, makes threats, makes loud noises, uses obscene language, or creates a public hazard while serving no purpose to the actor.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

Disposition

Refers to how a case was completed or resolved. This may include a finding of guilt, a guilty plea, diversion, a finding of not guilty, or that the case was dismissed or withdrawn.

Diversion

Diversion is a procedure by which the DAO removes cases from the usual path through the criminal justice process of incarceration and supervision (probation and parole). The most common form of Diversion allows the accused to participate in a court-sponsored program (often called a problem-solving court). When completed successfully, the diversion program serves the needs of both the participant and the community. Diversion also includes community-based models where the DAO connects participants directly to community organizations to receive services and resources. The programs are designed to be rehabilitative rather than punitive. Their goal is to support individuals who have committed minor offenses to help them avoid future criminal involvement.

Some of the benefits of diversionary programs are:

  • People are able to stay in the community while being held accountable.
  • Their specialized nature allows for targeting of specific programs for specific types of people (e.g., drug treatment for people with drug disuse disorders).
  • Many allow for the charges to be cleared from the accused’s record after successful program completion. This helps people move on from their contact with the criminal justice system without the lifetime burden a criminal record can pose in finding housing, employment, and other important life activities.
  • They allow the accused to quickly move out of the criminal justice system, bringing swift resolution of the case and reducing loads on overburdened agencies and system actors.

Some common diversion programs in Philadelphia include:

  • AMP I and AMP II (Accelerated Misdemeanor Program)
  • Domestic Violence Diversion
  • Veteran’s Court
  • ARD (Accelerated Misdemeanor Program)
  • Mental Health Court
Drug Offenses

Drug Offenses is a summary category for offenses categorized as drug crimes.

Drug Possession

Possession of a drug for personal use and not for the purpose of selling the drug to someone else. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was for 35 P.S. § 780-113 A16, A19, or A32.

Drug Possession in Jails

Giving or selling contraband drugs to inmates in city jails. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 5123.

Drug Sales

Possession of a drug with the intention of selling the drug or the actual sale of the drug. “Intention to sell” can be inferred from the amount possessed when a person possesses more than a user would have for personal use. “Intention to sell” can also be inferred from the possession of other objects associated with sales, such as scales for weighing drugs. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 35 P.S. § 780-113 A13, A15, A17, A30, A33, A35, or A36. A30 is the most common subsection under which people are charged for Drug Sales in Pennsylvania.

Drug Sales with a Firearm

Similar to “Drug Sales”, but where the individual illegally possesses a firearm during the incident, whether or not the firearm is used. These cases are generally treated more severely than drug sales cases, and are given their own category. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 35 P.S. § 780-113 A30 combined with a charge (or police reocmmnended charge) for illegal possession of a firearm. It also includes cases where illegal possession of a firearm is the most serious charge combined with a charge for Drug Sales.

DUI

Driving a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 75 Pa.C.S. § 3802.

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E
Embezzlement

The use of money or property belonging to another for personal gain. It is common that when the police recommend that a person be charged with embezzlement, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office charges theft. This only appears in incident data.

Ethnic Intimidation

Targeting the race, color, religion, or national origin of an individual during the commission of an assault, property destruction (e.g. arson), or trespass. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 2710.

Exonerated/Won on Appeal

An outcome that we have assigned to cases where the person was exonerated or a conviction was otherwise overturned, even if that outcome does not meet the definition of an ‘exoneration.’

Exoneration

In general, an exoneration occurs when a person who has been convicted of a crime is officially cleared based on new evidence of innocence.

The more precise definition is more complicated: A person has been exonerated if he or she was convicted of a crime and, following a post-conviction re-examination of the evidence in the case, was either:

  1. Declared to be factually innocent by a government official or agency with the authority to make that declaration; or
  2. Relieved of all the consequences of the criminal conviction by a government official or body with the authority to take that action. The official action may be:
    i. a complete pardon by a governor or other competent authority, whether or not the pardon is designated as based on innocence; ii. an acquittal of all charges factually related to the crime for which the person was originally convicted; or iii. a dismissal of all charges related to the crime for which the person was originally convicted, by a court or by a prosecutor with the authority to enter that dismissal.

The pardon, acquittal, or dismissal must have been the result, at least in part, of evidence of innocence that either:

  1. was not presented at the trial at which the person was convicted; or
  2. if the person pled guilty, was not known to the defendant and the defense attorney, and to the court, at the time the plea was entered.

The evidence of innocence need not be an explicit basis for the official action that exonerated the person. A person who otherwise qualifies has not been exonerated if there is unexplained physical evidence of that person’s guilt.

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F
Felony Offense

Offenses in Pennsylvania are classified as homicides, felonies, misdemeanors, and summaries. Felony offenses are the most serious non-homicide offenses and may lead to imprisonment of more than ten years.

Firearm Possession by a Prohibited Person

Possession of a firearm by a person who has been prohibited from carrying a firearm because of a previous conviction for certain offenses (mainly felonies). On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 6105 and the person was not simultaneously charged with Drug Sales (which is categorized as Drug Sales with a Firearm).

Firearm Possession without a License

Possession of a firearm without a license. Generally a person charged with this offense is eligible to obtain a license but has not done so. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 6106 and the person was not simultaneously charged with Drug Sales (which is categorized as Drug Sales with a Firearm).

First Judicial District (FJD)

The Pennsylvania court system is divided into “judicial districts.” The judicial district that operates in Philadelphia is called the First Judicial District (“FJD”). The Courts that comprise the FJD are the Municipal Court (which includes Traffic Court) and the Court of Common Pleas (which includes both the criminal and family courts). Because Philadelphia is large, the FJD covers just Philadelphia. Other Judicial Districts can cover more than one county.

Fraud

Intentionally lying or manipulating the truth in order to gain something of value. It is common that when the police recommend that a person be charged with fraud, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office charges theft, which is more specific.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

Fraud/Theft of Services

Fraud is intentionally lying or manipulating the truth in order to gain something of value. Theft of services, similarly, occurs when a person gets the benefit of a service known to cost money (e.g. turnstile jumping). The Philadelphia DAO generally charges offense classified at arrest as ‘fraud’ as ‘theft’ under the criminal code. This combined classification is only available in incident data.

Future Years of Incarceration

All of the years of incarceration imposed on defendants in all cases that ended in a given time period. For example, the future years of incarceration imposed in Philadelphia on a particular day can be calculated by adding up all of the carceral sentences imposed on all defendants in Philadelphia that day.

To calculate future years of incarceration, we make a few assumptions:

  1. We only track the jail/prison time that we assume a person will serve.
  2. Anyone serving time in the Philadelphia jails (sentences with a maximum of less than 2 years) will be released at their minimum sentence length.
  3. Anyone serving time in state prison (sentences with a maximum sentence of 2 years or more) will be released at 130% of their minimum sentence (e.g., a person with a 1-2 year sentence will be released in 1.3 years).
  4. Consolidated sentences are treated as concurrent, not consecutive. When a person is sentenced in multiple cases on a single day, we assume that these cases have been consolidated and dealt with as a group. For the purpose of future years, we only look at the longest minimum and maximum sentences from that group of cases.
  5. We only look at original sentences, not violations of parole or probation.

One of the goals of DA Larry Krasner’s policies is to reduce the number of years of future incarceration and future supervision. Overly long prison sentences and terms of parole and probation cost millions in public dollars without improving public safety. In fact, research show that mass incarceration and over-supervision actually have a negative effect on people and communities. By making plea offers and sentencing recommendations below the low end of the Pennsylvania Sentencing Guidelines, DA Krasner has espoused a different approach to sentencing policy. This will save millions of dollars that could be used to improve education, repair infrastructure and improve living conditions for all Philadelphians, while at the same time insuring that criminal behavior is punished appropriately.

Future Years of Supervision

All of the years of supervision imposed on defendants in all cases that ended in a given time period. For example, the future years of supervision imposed in Philadelphia on a particular day can be calculated by adding up all of the probation and parole sentences imposed on all defendants in Philadelphia that day.

To calculate future years of supervision, we make a few assumptions:

  1. We only track the supervision time that a person will actually serve.
  2. Anyone serving time in the Philadelphia jails (sentences with a maximum of less than 2 years) will be released at their minimum sentence length. The balance of their sentence (max - min) is counted as supervision.
  3. Anyone serving time in state prison (sentences with a maximum sentence of 2 years or more) will be released at 130% of their minimum sentence (e.g. a person with a 1-2 year sentence will be released in 1.3 years). The balance of their sentence (max - 1.3 x min) is counted as supervision.
  4. Consolidated sentences are treated as concurrent, not consecutive. When a person is sentenced in multiple cases on a single day, we assume that these cases have been consolidated and dealt with as a group. For the purpose of future years, we only look at the longest minimum and maximum sentences from that group of cases.
  5. We only look at original sentences, not violations of probation or parole.

One of the goals of DA Krasner’s policies is to reduce the number of years of Future Supervision. Research shows that periods of probation or parole supervision that last beyond three years without any violations have diminishing returns and instead keep people needlessly ensnared in the system. In making plea offers and sentencing recommendations, the DAO is very cognizant of this finding. Because of the requirements of Pennsylvania’s sentencing laws, it is not always possible to limit parole following an sentence to incarceration for a reasonable amount of time. But, to the extent possible, the DAO is attempting to reduce the amount of time people are required to spend on probation and parole.

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G
Guilty

A catch-all used on the dashboard to designate both findings of guilt at trial and guilty pleas.

Guilty at Trial

A finding of guilt by a Judge or Jury after a trial.

Guilty Plea/Nolo

Instead of going to trial, an accused person may choose to admit guilt and go directly to sentence. A guilty plea can be open or negotiated.

  • A negotiated plea is an agreement between the DAO and the accused on the charges that the accused will admit guilt to, the charges that will be dropped, and the sentence that will be recommended to the judge for the case. The agreement is sometimes called a plea bargain.
  • An open plea is one where the accused admits guilt and then the judge sets the sentence without a recommendation from the DAO.
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H
Harassment

Engaging in a number of different activities designed to annoy, harass, or alarm another person, including touching, following, repeatedly calling or otherwise communicated with, or using lewd or harsh language.

Held without Bail

In some cases, an accused person can be held without bail pending trial. A person charged with 1st degree murder must be held without bail in Pennsylvania, however, individuals charged with a less lesser crime can also be held without bail, depending on a number of factors.

Homicide

The killing of one person by another. There are many different types of homicide in Pennsylvania, ranging from intentional homicide to negligent homicide to felony homicide.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was any of the following:

Homicide: Other

A homicide that cannot be identified as a fatal shooting using the shooting victims dataset.

Homicide: Shooting

A homicide that can be identified as a fatal shooting. On the incidents page, we count the number of fatal shooting victims rather than the number of fatal shooting incidents.

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I
Illegal Dumping/Littering

A range of offenses, from simple littering through illegally emptying a trash truck on a public roadway or private land. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where at least one charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 6591 and none of the more serious offenses outlined on this page was also charged.

Illegal Firearm Possession

A general category for illegal possession of a firearm incidents. This may include being in a car where a firearm is found, even if the person charged isn’t directly holding it. This appears only in incident data; arrest and case data has categories for different types of illegal firearm possession.

Incarceration

Imprisoning a person. In Pennsylvania, sentences to periods of incarceration include both a minimum and a maximum length. The maximum length is required to be at least twice as long as the minimum sentence (e.g., 1-2 years and 1-5 years are both allowed; 2-3 years is not allowed). Unless paroled early, a person generally isn’t eligible for parole until they have reached their minimum sentence.

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M
Minor Violations (Open Container, Public Urination, Smoking Violation)

A catchall for multiple minor offenses.

Misdemeanor Offense

Offenses in Pennsylvania are classified as homicides, felonies, misdemeanors, and summaries. A misdemeanor offense is an offense that is punishable by up to five years in prison. Misdemeanor offenses are less serious than felony and homicide offenses.

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N
Negotiated Guilty Plea

In a negotiated guilty plea, the defendant comes to an agreement with the DAO to admit guilt to specific charges in exchange for a sentence that both the defendant and DAO have agreed upon. It is common for a defendant to admit guilty to only some charges while the others are withdrawn or nolle prossed by the DAO. The agreement is sometimes called a plea bargain.

Nolle Prossed

After a case has passed a preliminary Hearing and has made it to the Court of Common Pleas, the DAO must file a motion to ‘nolle pros’ any charges that it wants to withdrawn. Similar to withdrawals, a case may be nolle prossed due to a change in circumstances (such as an unavailable witness), a determination by the DAO that the case lacks sufficient evidence to proceed (perhaps because evidence was suppressed), or because of an agreement made between the DAO and the defendant to nolle pros some charges in exchange for a guilty plea on other charges. ‘Nolle prosequi’ is Latin for ‘Not wish to prosecute’.

Nolo Contendere

Latin for ‘No Contest’, Nolo Contendere is a plea by the defendant where they accept punishment for the offense without admitting guilt.

Non-Fatal Shooting

An offense is labeled as a non-fatal shooting if there is a shooting, at least one person is hit, and nobody dies. If a person dies, the case would be classified as a homicide. If nobody is hit, it would likely be classified as an Aggravated Assault/Gun (on the incidents Dashboard page) or Aggravated Assault (on the Dashboard pages relating to arrests and cases). In order to identify non-fatal shooting cases, we link incidents to a shooting victims dataset.

On the Dashboard, we only classify an arrest or case as a non-fatal shooting if the incident itself appears in the shooting victims data set and the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of: “Attempted Homicide”, “Assault”, “Aggravated Assault”, or “Robbery”. On the Incidents page, we count the number of non-fatal shooting victims rather than the number of non-fatal shooting incidents.

Not Guilty/Acquittal

A finding by either jury or judge that the prosecution has failed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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O
Offense

Another word for a crime.

Offense Category

The general classification of an offense. See the limitations page for more information about some problems that come with using this classification system.

Open Cases at End of Period

On our case outcomes page, in addition to how many cases were disposed of in each time period, we also measure how many cases remained active at the end of each time period. This allows a comparison between the number of cases adjudicated in a year with the size of the backlog that the court was facing at that same moment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the case backlog has grown considerably as the courts have not been operating at full capacity. Two important impacts of this are:

  1. Many cases stay open for far longer than in the past. For victims who have to wait for resolution to their case, this can be agonizing. For defendants sitting in jail pretrial, the lack of resolution and continued detention also causes great harm. Even for defendants that were released pretrial, having an open case can be extremely destabilizing.
  2. stronger cases, which require more hearings and potentially a trial, stay active in the system while weaker cases are dismissed immediately. This has led to a lower conviction rate during the pandemic than other times. We believe that the conviction rate after the courts reopen at full capacity will be higher than normal, although that is subject to other factors such as evidence becoming stale.
Open Guilty Plea

In an open guilty plea the defendant admits guilt but does not come to an agreement with the DAO about the sentence. In this case, the judge sets, taking into account the admission of guilt by the defendant and the DAO’s sentencing recommendation.

Other Assaults

A broad category that includes stalking, and resisting arrest.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

Other Drug Offenses

A general category for other crimes identified as drug offenses, but that do not occur enough to be classified individually. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 35 P.S. § 780-113 A5, A12, or A14.

Other Firearm Offenses

A general category for other crimes identified as firearms offenses, but that do not occur enough to be classified individually.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

Other Guilty Plea

Any guilty plea that is not specifically marked as ‘open’ or ‘negotiated’ we categorize as ‘other.’ These pleas may include both negotiated and open pleas.

Other Offenses

Other Offenses is a summary category for offenses that do not fall into the categorizations of violent, property, or drug, or for which the categorization is unknown.

Other Property Crimes

A general category for other crimes identified as property offenses, but that do not occur enough to be classified individually.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

Other Violent Crimes

A general category for other crimes identified as violent offenses, but that do not occur enough to be classified individually.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

Outcomes

The various ways that a criminal case can end. We have created 5 high level outcome groupings that capture all of the ways a case can end.

These are all defined elsewhere on this page:

  • Dismissed/Withdrawn/Etc
  • Diversion
  • Not Guilty/Acquittal
  • Withdrawn in the Interest of Justice
  • Guilty
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P
Parole

The period of community supervision that occurs when a person has been sentenced to prison but is released before serving their maximum incarceration sentence. Parole is served until the person has reached their maximum sentence date.

Parts I & II Offenses

The Philadelpia Police Department uses the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program to categorize and incidents on the OpenDataPhilly Crime Incidents data release.

As part of the UCR program, offense types are divided into three categories:

  • Part I Crimes, considered the most serious. These include: criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft, and arson.
  • Part II Crimes. These include: other assaults, forgery and counterfeiting, fraud, embezzlement, stolen property, vandalism, weapons violations, prostitution and commercialized vice, sex offenses, drug violations, gambling, offenses against family and children, driving under the influence, liquor law violations, public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and vagrancy.
  • All other offenses. This category includes all violations of state and local laws not specifically defined as a Part I or II offense, except traffic violations.
Patronizing Prostitutes

Hiring a prostitute/sex worker. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 5902 E.

Police District

In Philadelphia, a Police District is a mid-level geographic management area maintained by the Philadelphia Police Department. There are 21 Police Districts in Philadelphia.

Probation

Community supervision that is directly ordered by a judge. This is distinguished from parole, which is supervised released from prison. A person may be sentenced to just probation or may receive a sentence of incarceration followed by a period of probation. The latter is often referred to as a “probation tail.”

Promoting Prostitution

Aiding in the business of prostitution/sex work, or owning or managing a house of prostitution as a business. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of: 18 Pa.C.S. § 5902 B.

Property Offenses

Property Arrests is a summary category for offenses categorized as property crimes.

Prostitution/Sex Work

Engaging in sexual activity as a business. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 5902 A or A1 or without a subsection specified.

Public Drunkenness

Being in a public place and under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance to the point where the person is a danger to persons or property or annoys other people. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 5505.

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R
Rape

Engaging in sexual intercourse through force, the threat of force, with an unconscious or seriously impaired individual, or with an individual who suffers from a mental disability that makes them incapable of consent. Rape, as used in our website, does not refer to other types of rape or sexual assault.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was any of:

Release on Recognizance (ROR)

A bail condition that allows a person to be released from custody without having to pay any money to be released. The person signs a paper stating that they will return for future court listings but is not required to pay any money to be released.

Retail Theft

Theft of merchandise from a store. This includes altering prices or labels to pay less than the actual price of the merchandise.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was any of:

Robbery

A robbery is a theft from a person involving the use of force or threat of force. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 3701 and the charge was not graded as a first degree felony.

Robbery with a Deadly Weapon

A robbery where the force or threat of force involves a deadly weapon. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 3701 and the charge was graded as a first degree felony.

Robbery/Gun

A robbery where the force or threat of force involves a gun. This classification is only available in incident data.

Robbery/Other

A robbery where the force or threat of force does not involve a gun. This classification is only available in incident data.

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Sexual Assault and Other Sex Offenses

A variety of sexual offenses that do not rise to the level of rape, ranging from improper touching to non-consensual penetration.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

Simple Assault

An attack by one person on another to cause injury or an attempt to cause fear of serious bodily injury. On the dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge was 18 Pa.C.S. § 2701.

Strangulation

Impeding a person’s breathing by applying pressure to the throat or neck, or blocking the nose and mouth. This law went into effect in late December 2016. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 2718.

Summary Offense

Offenses in Pennsylvania are classified as homicides, felonies, misdemeanors, and summaries. A summary offense is the most minor type of criminal offense in Pennsylvania, and is often called a non-traffic citation. Summary offenses can include disorderly conduct, loitering, harassment, and low-level retail theft, among others. A conviction for a summary offense usually results in a fine.

Supervision

For the purposes of this webpage, it refers to supervision over parole and probation.

Unsecured Cash Bail (SOB)

A bail condition that allows a person to be released from custody without having to pay any money to be released. Unlike ROR, there is a monetary penalty if the person misses a court listing or is rearrested pretrial.

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Theft

Illegally taking someone else’s property with the intent of not giving it back. Theft usually does not refer to theft directly from a person, which is considered robbery.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was any of:

Theft from Auto

The theft of property from a motor vehicle, but not theft of the vehicle itself or the taking of parts of the vehicle.

Theft from Person

Theft of property from a person, not involving force or the threat of force. Pickpocketing is a common example.

Theft of Motor Vehicle Tag

The theft of license plates from a motor vehicle. This classification is only available in incident data.

Theft of Services

Obtaining the benefit of a service known to cost money, without paying that cost (e.g. turnstile jumping). On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 3926.

Threats of Violence

Threatening to commit a violent crime for the purpose of frightening another person. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 2706.

Trespass

Entering or remaining in a place without permission. On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was 18 Pa.C.S. § 3503.

Trial-Ready Conviction Rate

For felony cases that have passed a Preliminary Hearing, the percent that have concluded with a conviction (at trial or through a guilty plea). The Trial-Ready Conviction Rate does not include pending cases nor cases that ended in Diversion. For more details on the different stages of hearings and the trial-ready conviction rate, see this data story.

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Unknown Bail

A categorization of bail amount for cases for which we do not have sufficient bail data.

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Vandalism

Destroying or defacing property without permission to do so (e.g. graffiti).

Victim/Witness Intimidation & Retaliation

Intimidating a witness or victim of a crime in order to prevent them from providing information, coerce them to provide false information or to withhold information, to prevent them from testifying in court, or retaliating against a witness or victim of a crime who has already provided information or testified. It is important to note that this category only includes those arrests and cases where it is considered the most serious charge. In many cases, this offense is charged alongside a higher-ranked charge, e.g. Aggravated Assault or Homicide.

On the Dashboard, this includes arrests and cases where the most serious charge (or police recommended charge) was one of:

Violation of Protection Order

A person found in violation of a court order to stay away from another person. This includes where the most serious charge was 23 Pa.C.S. § 6114

Violent Offenses

Violent Offenses is a summary category for offenses categorized as violent crimes.

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Withdrawn

If, after bring charges in a case, the District Attorney’s Office decides to not move forward with the case due to an unavailable witness or for other related reasons, the DAO may withdraw the case. Withdrawn charges may later be refiled. Withdrawals almost always happen in Municipal Court, regardless of whether the case is a felony or a misdemeanor.

For the purpose of the dashboard, we have also counted cases dismissed for ‘Lack of Prosecution’ (LOP) because it means something similar. A case is dismissed LOP when the DAO is not ready to proceed, but the judge does not grant a continuance.

Withdrawn in the Interest of Justice

There are times when withdrawing a case can better serve the goals of the criminal legal system than continuing to prosecute a case.

Some examples of why a case may be withdrawn in the interest of justice include:

  • Withdrawal of a drug possession case where the defendant has shown proof of seeing a treatment provider.
  • Withdrawal of a less serious domestic violence case where the victim does not want to continue with the prosecution and the defendant has shown proof of attendance at anger management classes or has completed significant community sevice hours.
  • Withdrawal of a minor case against a non-citizen where the immigration consequences of a conviction would far outweigh the gravity of the crime.
  • Withdrawal of a minor offense against a person in custody in another state for a serious offense (e.g. a person is currently held for a murder trial in Texas, but also has an open retail theft case in Philadelphia).
  • Withdrawal of a drug possession case for a first time offender.

The DAO has been withdrawing cases in the interest of justice for decades, to help the DAO manage caseloads, to avoid over-penalizing people, and to find create ways to allow for diversion-like programs when diversion may not be available for an individual. This is a process that has never been formally tracked within the District Attorney’s Office, so it is likely that we are under-counting Withdrawals in the Interest of Justice. For the purpose of the Dashboard, we mark a case as Withdrawn in the Interest of Justice if the disposition of the case is withdrawn and the withdrawal took place in CJC room 404.

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Y
Yr-Yr Change

Year-over-Year Change refers to the percent change from a prior time period to the current time period.

YTD

Year-to-Date refers to a total number of instances that occurred between the beginning of the year (Jan 1) and the date of the report.

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