February 20, 2013. 476,974 lawsuits were submitted to Sverdlovsk Region-based courts in 2012; this figure does not account for complaints and other types of papers, Sverdlovsk Region Court’s Press Office reports.

According to the Press Office, the number of criminal lawsuits placed with the courts is in direct relation to the positive trends in the region’s crime rate at the moment. Last year, the number of such suits decreased by nearly 10% (33,767) in both the district and the municipal courts; in the magistrate courts, the figure dropped by over 11%. In addition, the number of the accused whom the federal and the magistrate courts found guilty proved 12% and almost 9% smaller, respectively.

The federal courts sentenced 48% of the accused to a prison sentence. 23.2% of the accused got conditional sentences, which is comparable with the year 2011. Community service was chosen as the punishment for 10.5% of the accused, and about the same percentage was sentenced to paying fines. Slightly over 3% were sentenced to custodial restraint.

The justices of the peace sentenced the lion’s share of the accused (87.8%, or 10,057 people) to the punishments that were not related to prison sentences.