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Davis County to contract forensic interviewer to cover Children’s Justice Center caseload
Summary
The Davis County Commission approved a contract to hire a contracted forensic interviewer, funded in part by one-time Attorney General office money, to provide coverage when county interviewers are unavailable; the contract runs through the state fiscal year and may end June 30 unless more funding is found.
The Davis County Commission voted to approve a contract allowing a contracted forensic interviewer to provide interviews for the county Children’s Justice Center when county staff are unavailable.
Julie Stephenson, director of the Davis County Children’s Justice Center, told commissioners the center currently has a full-time forensic interviewer and a part-time interviewer on county payroll but that both are often subpoenaed to testify in court. She said the county and the Attorney General’s office identified one-time AG funding that can be used to pay a contracted professional to fill gaps and to provide additional coverage when multiple interviews are needed.
Stephenson said the contract is with Anastasia Pealy, whom she described as an experienced forensic interviewer who trains with the AG’s office. The agreement requires the contractor to meet county security requirements and training. Commissioners were told the current funding is on the state fiscal year and, as written, could end June 30 unless additional funding is secured.
The motion to approve the contract was made, seconded and carried with all commissioners saying “Aye.” The contract’s effective and end dates and the specific hourly or per-interview rate were not stated on the record.
The commission’s action directs the county to use the one-time AG funding to contract for forensic interviewing capacity and places the county on record as seeking a longer-term funding solution if needed beyond the state fiscal year.
