CPS Staffordshire and You

Introducing the Crown Prosecution Service in Staffordshire

Staffordshire Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is one of 42 CPS Areas across England and Wales. Our role is to prosecute people in Staffordshire who have been charged with a criminal offence.

In most cases the CPS now decides whether a person will be charged with a criminal offence, and what this charge should be. Crown Prosecutors look at all the information about a case which has been given to them by the police. They then decide whether there is enough evidence against the defendant to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and whether it is in the public interest to bring that person to court.

We are responsible for:

• advising the police on cases for possible prosecution
• reviewing cases submitted by the police and deciding on the charge
• preparing cases for court
• prosecuting cases at both the Crown Court and magistrates' courts

Each year we handle around 34,500 defendants in the magistrates' courts and a further 2,300 defendants in the Crown Court. Our conviction rate stands at 97% in the magistrates' court and 93% in the Crown Court.