The Utah County Attorney's Office requested funding on Oct. 14 for additional victim-witness coordinators and expanded digital-forensics staffing to support ongoing and anticipated complex litigation.

County Attorney Jeff (last name not specified in transcript) told commissioners the office needs more victim-witness coordinators so there is a dedicated coordinator for each courtroom; currently eight coordinators cover 10 courtrooms, and several verified complaints to the Victim Rights Commission prompted the request.

The office said dedicated coordinators reduce the chance that victims do not receive timely notices, support in court, or information about hearings. Staff said coordinators accompany victims to hearings, help with safety planning and notifications, and assist with witness logistics in high-witness cases. For anticipated large cases the office expects increased witness and expert coordination needs.

Digital forensics: The attorney's office also urged investment in digital-forensic capacity, citing the value of an in-house extraction capability (Cellebrite or similar) and a senior forensic examiner (Justin Sightsinger) who currently provides that expertise. The office said outsourcing a single phone extraction can cost roughly $2,300 plus additional expert-testimony fees; internal extraction and in-house experts significantly reduce per-case cost and delay. Staff recommended creating one or more forensic positions to build succession capacity and to handle the expected workload from complex prosecutions.

Budget considerations and commissioner response: Commissioners did not take a final vote during the Oct. 14 session and asked for supplemental information and a link to supporting material so they could review technical needs and cost-sharing options with other jurisdictions. One commissioner expressed hesitation and said they were "undecided at best, leaning toward some no" on the request without further details.

The county attorney's office will provide additional documentation and a link to detailed materials and the commissioners asked staff to circulate those resources for follow-up consideration.