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State's Attorneys and Sheriffs department reports heavy caseloads, flags expungement and staffing needs
Summary
Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs leaders told the Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee that attorneys and victim advocates carry high caseloads, that pending homicides and expungement work are straining resources, and that legislation and additional staffing are needed to address backlogs.
On Jan. 16, Tim Leiter‑DuPont, executive director of the Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs, and Annie Unan, the department's labor relations and operations director, briefed the Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee on the department's structure, staffing and workload pressures.
The department, Leiter‑DuPont said, centralizes administrative functions for 28 elected county officials — 14 state's attorneys and 14 sheriffs — so the Legislature does not receive 28 separate budget requests. “We are the administrative department that oversees the 28 elected officials,” Unan said.
Leiter‑DuPont told the committee the department employs roughly 175 people statewide, including about 72 full‑time attorneys who handle criminal, family, civil and appellate work. “They average between 300 to 400 cases per attorney,” he said, and noted national best practices recommend…
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