Mohave County attorney warns of staffing shortfalls, requests frozen positions restored

Mohave County Attorney Smith told the Board of Supervisors on April 7 that the county attorney’s office is handling sharply higher felony and misdemeanor caseloads while operating with fewer prosecutors and support staff than peer counties, and asked the board to restore frozen positions and fund disclosure staff and an additional attorney.

Smith said the office reviewed more than 3,000 felony cases in 2024, including more than 1,000 felony drug matters, and ran as many as 103 felony jury trials in 2023. He said current staffing totals roughly 19 prosecutors, including two part‑time prosecutors, and that Mohave County is prosecuting hundreds more felony filings than comparable counties with substantially larger prosecution staffs.

The county attorney highlighted a multi‑part workload pressure.The office must: review incoming cases (in custody and out), prepare disclosure packages that include body‑worn camera footage, and run specialty prosecution units (drug, DCAC dangerous crimes against children, and juvenile prosecution). Smith said disclosure work alone requires six full‑time staff who must review video minute‑by‑minute to redact identifying information; at times those teams have been four to six weeks behind. He asked the board to restore previously frozen “office specialist” positions that manage disclosure and to fund a previously frozen attorney position mid‑year.

Smith also described a local recruitment strategy. The office operates an intern pipeline for law and college students that has produced hires — including one prosecutor who interned locally before law school and returned to work as a full‑time prosecutor. He said the office has historically received very few outside applicants and that retaining local law students could slow turnover.

Supervisors pressed on causes and possible fixes. Supervisor Gould asked about recruitment barriers; Smith cited nationwide changes in law‑school hiring and slower appeal of more urban job markets. Supervisor Leffman and others praised the intern program as one practical step but noted the county will face long‑term salary and retention competition with city and county prosecutor offices elsewhere. Board members asked for additional budget-level detail and options to reduce turnover and burnout.

The presentation included charts showing the department’s historic caseload, trial numbers by year and a comparison with Yavapai County, which files fewer felony cases but has more full‑time staff. Smith said Mohave County has had substantially more felony filings than Yavapai in recent years and fewer staff to manage them. He described a recommendation for adding three or four prosecutors and support staff to reduce burnout and turn‑over.

The county attorney’s presentation did not propose specific pay changes; it requested restoration of frozen positions (disclosure specialists and an attorney) and continued investment in the intern program. Board members asked staff to return with budget options and cost estimates for consideration in the upcoming budget process.

Ending: The Board heard the county attorney’s staffing and workload presentation and asked staff for additional fiscal and recruitment options during the county’s budget cycle.