Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell is set to step in front of the cameras Thursday afternoon and pull back the curtain on at least one closely watched Phoenix-area criminal case. The news conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., with officials saying only that she will discuss several ongoing investigations and reveal a charging decision in a high-profile probe, while keeping the specific case under wraps for now.
According to Arizona’s Family, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office confirmed that Mitchell will announce the decision at the briefing, which will be streamed live at 1:30 p.m. The advisory from the office did not include any further details about the case or cases that will be addressed.
Mitchell’s Recent Focus And Backlog
Mitchell, who was appointed as Maricopa County Attorney, has repeatedly framed staffing shortages and a mounting case backlog as some of her biggest headaches since taking office. ABC15 reports that she has pointed to high vacancy rates among prosecutors and has openly acknowledged delays in reviews of officer-involved shootings, even as she continues to make other high-profile charging decisions.
What A Charging Decision Can Mean…