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Resident urges county board to investigate District Attorney's office after mass staff resignations
Summary
During citizens' comments a resident who identified as chair of the Kenosha County Democratic Party urged the board to investigate the District Attorney's Office, citing at least 14 assistant district attorneys who resigned since the current DA took office and concerns about case backlogs and pretrial detention.
During the Kenosha County Board’s public-comment period, a resident who identified himself as chair of the Kenosha County Democratic Party urged supervisors to investigate the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office and to use budgetary oversight to ensure the office serves the public effectively.
The speaker said that since District Attorney Solis took office about eight months ago, at least 14 assistant district attorneys have resigned — including some the speaker said Solis had hired — and that Deputy District Attorney Drew Burgoyne, described by the speaker as the county’s most experienced prosecutor, recently left. The resident said those departures have left inexperienced staff, created a backlog of cases and resulted in defendants spending “more time in pretrial detention than they should.”
The commenter cited reporting by WGTD and said a state representative intervened in “a local murder case,” which the speaker said now hangs “in limbo” after an attorney, whom the speaker named as Begoin, told the judge he could not ethically proceed. The speaker described the situation as a leadership crisis and urged the county board to demand transparency on how the DA’s office is using its budget — which the speaker said Solis inherited at more than $1,000,000 — and to investigate whether taxpayer funds are sustaining an effective prosecutorial operation.
"I urge you, members of this board, to take up your responsibility, investigate how a DA's office is functioning, demand transparency, and ensure that our county's justice system serves the people fairly and effectively," the resident said.
The speaker said he did not vote for DA Solis and identified himself as chair of the Kenosha County Democratic Party, but added that his concerns are shared across the political spectrum. He said some residents fear retaliation and are reluctant to speak publicly. The board did not take action during the meeting on the topics raised in the public comment.
The statements reported here were made during the public-comment period and reflect the speaker’s complaints and allegations; they were not verified within the meeting record.
