New money for crime victims

    An audit of files at Philadelphia’s Clerk of Quarter Sessions office has discovered about $ 1 million that could help victims of crime.

    The cash was confiscated in drug busts and other crimes since 2005. Common Pleas Court President Judge Pamela Dembe says bad record keeping had kept the stash buried in the bureacracy until now.

    “It was a rather laborious process of having our folks sit down and go through each and every account and match it up with records,” Dembe said. “The police have been very helpful with this, and this is what we’ve been able to put together so far.”

    Victims who think they’re owed restitution can contact the courts to update their addresses by e-mailing cqs.support@courts.phila.gov. Some of the money will be used to help upgrade the clerk’s office convert some of its pen and ink files to computerized records.

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