District attorney reports fentanyl seizures, caseload and two new attorney positions to Public Safety Committee

Manitowoc County’s District Attorney, Jacqueline Libre, told the county Public Safety Committee that the office has seen large synthetic opioid seizures and rising caseloads and that two new assistant district attorney positions have been approved.

Libre reported that recent law-enforcement interdictions included large quantities of fentanyl and fentanyl pills and credited law enforcement and prosecutors for the seizures. She told the committee that last year the office handled about 830 felony cases, 492 misdemeanor cases, 742 criminal traffic cases and 93 juvenile cases, and that the additional staff are intended to address workload and trial preparation needs.

Libre also said the new investigator position (Ben Kemp is assisting in a limited capacity as a retired law officer) is assigned to tasks including witness location, trial preparation and post-case investigation. The committee noted office-space constraints in the district attorney’s office after square footage changed during an HVAC remodel and discussed staffing and budget plans tied to October budget hearings.

The committee was told the annual TAD (treatment alternatives and diversion) grant has been awarded for drug court programming and that drug court is now live-streamed; the committee was directed to check with Amanda Keegan for access details.

Committee members and presenters also discussed major-case examples that illustrate the public-safety risk from synthetic opioids; Libre described the potency and public-health hazard of carfentanil and fentanyl in the context of interdictions. The committee scheduled its next meeting and is set to receive additional budget presentations in October.