Accomplishments

Since taking office, Powell has led the District Attorney’s Office from the front, personally trying cases; working with his staff to improve prosecutions and increase conviction rates; mentoring younger prosecutors on trial advocacy strategies, case preparation and trial presentation; and working closely with county detectives, municipal police departments and the Pennsylvania State Police to ensure effective investigations and prosecutions. 

As DA, Powell:

• Serves as the lead prosecutor in all first-degree murder cases.

• Personally tried and secured convictions in five cases in his first year in office including a first-degree murder conviction.

• Re-sentenced a juvenile defendant who committed two brutal murders to 60 years to life in response to case law which reversed the life sentence.

• Investigates all overdose deaths and prosecutes drug dealers who deliver drugs resulting in death.

• Successfully argued cases before both the Pennsylvania Supreme and Superior Courts.

Professionalizing the DA’s Office

Building upon a strong foundation, District Attorney Mark Powell has made changes to professionalize the DA’s Office and improve the capabilities and effectiveness of prosecutors and law enforcement officers across the county after assuming office in January 2018. His accomplishments as DA include a host of new policies, procedures and protocols designed to improve the Criminal Justice System in Lackawanna County and keep our communities safe. Under Powell’s leadership, the DA’s Office:

• Instituted a strict deadlines to accept  plea offers.

• Installed a tracking system to make sure charges are filed and cases are prosecuted in a timely manner.

• Established a  trial preparation program for every case that’s going to trial. 

• Developed and adopted a Uniform Policy Manual for police officers to follow in the handling of all crimes.

• Conducted training seminars for law enforcement. 

• Developed and adopted a more comprehensive Confidential Informant Policy.

• Developed and adopted a  Evidence Destruction Policy for police departments to destroy evidence from closed cases.

• Developed and adopted an  Employee Handbook. 

• Developed and adopted a File Retention Policy governing the destruction of old files from closed cases in the DA’s Office. 

• Developed and adopted a Bail Forfeiture Policy to recover bail when a defendant absconds. 

• Spearheaded an overhaul of the Specialty Court for Domestic Abusers.

Safer Schools

Powell also created the Lackawanna County Safe Schools Coalition, a program that has been hailed as a model for other counties throughout Pennsylvania. Powell and members of the DA’s Office were invited to make a presentation about the Coalition to the 2019 Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators in Hershey. The purpose of the Coalition is to:

• Make sure every public and private school building in the county has a trained, armed police, resource or security officer inside the building at all times in the event of violence.

• Develop and implement countywide threat assessment policies and protocols for all schools regarding safety.

• Open the lines of communication between school administrators, law enforcement and the DA’s Office to quickly identify and immediately respond to any potential threats.

Victim Services

District Attorney Powell reorganized the Victims Advocate Department to better serve victims of crime by appointing a full-time supervisor to oversee the multidisciplinary components.  The District Attorney’s office has units devoted to helping victims that include Special Victims, Trauma Services, Victim and Witness’ assistance.  At District Attorney Powell's direction, victims are contacted well in advance of hearings and their voice matters.  A victim’s opinion about the appropriate disposition  of a case is listened to and restitution is mandatory before a plea offer is extended to a defendant.