BROWN COUNTY, WI (WTAQ) – Brown County’s top prosecutor says proposed additions to his office are much needed.
District Attorney David Lasee says the county’s current backlog is roughly 3,000 cases, with about 500 new cases being added to that total each year.
A legislative bill being introduced by Representative Andre Jacque and Senator Van Wanggaard calls for the creation of 20 new assistant district attorney positions across 24 Wisconsin counties.
Those positions would be funded in the 2017-19 biennium and would take effect in January 2019.
Brown and Outagamie counties would receive a state-high two prosecutors apiece.
Lasee notes those positions would help ease his office’s burden.
“I think, with two new prosecutors, we have the ability to ensure that there are no new cases added to the backlog every year, and we would also start to make a dent on that as soon as those prosecutors are able to start.”
While criminal felony filings have remained fairly level at 1,800-1,900 annually the past few years, Lasee says there was a significant increase roughly 5-7 years ago, from which they still have not recovered.
In 2017, Lasee notes Brown County is on pace to see its most criminal felony filings in a single calendar year.
“There have been cases that have lapsed because we simply could not get to them in a timely manner. I believe that we’re getting to the most serious cases and issuing them, but even in those instances, there are delays as a result of our staffing.”
Lasee says his office currently has 16 attorneys (13 state-funded, 2 county-funded, 1 grant-funded).
He notes the last state addition was made in 2002.
Since, Lasee says he has consistently asked for 3-4 new ADAs in each budget cycle, including requesting four in the last one.
In drafting the bill, Jacque and Wanggaard used a 2016 study that looked at the years 2012-14.
Based on that data, they believe this legislation would bring all counties except Florence County to at least 58.5% of estimated full-time equivalent levels.
Governor Walker did not include any new ADA positions in his budget proposal, instead funding raises for current prosecutors, with hopes of keeping them from leaving for the private sector.
Jacque and Wanggaard’s proposal is estimated to cost $607,296-$726,398 in the upcoming biennium.
