When Darcel D. Clark was a judge in the Bronx, she used to see criminal cases in her courtroom delayed for weeks, even months, as they were handed from one prosecutor to another.

At a minimum, every case would pass through the hands of three prosecutors, each of whom oversaw a different step in the legal process, from writing the initial complaint to going to trial. If a prosecutor changed jobs, yet another person would have to scramble to become familiar with the case.

“I saw the way the delays were built in,” Ms. Clark said. “How many times did I hear, ‘Oh judge, I need another two or three weeks.’”

Ms. Clark, now the Bronx district attorney, intends to reduce those delays by adopting a new system of handling all cases starting this month. The system — known as “vertical prosecutions” — will assign every incoming case to a single prosecutor who will be responsible from beginning to end. Ms. Clark said the system would allow prosecutors to get to know their cases better and to take ownership of them. It would also foster closer relationships with victims and their families, she added.