Attorney General Gordon C. Ray defends $18.8 million DOJ operating budget; highlights training, case management and staffing gaps

Attorney General Gordon C. Ray told the legislature’s Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance on June 18 that the Department of Justice (DOJ) needs $18,755,216 in general‑fund support for FY2026 and roughly $12.97 million in federal grant funding to operate core legal services, specialty units and compliance programs across the territory.

Ray framed the request around three central problems: persistent attorney vacancies, outdated case‑management systems and the need for specialized investigative and victim‑support capacity. "The Department of Justice's primary goal is to protect the Virgin Islands' citizens and to advance their interests and well‑being," Ray told the committee. He said DOJ had made progress on training and interagency coordination but that vacancies and workload strain remained significant barriers to timely prosecutions and civil work.

Why this matters: DOJ provides most of the territory’s criminal prosecutions, civil counsel to government agencies and several federally funded public‑interest functions (child support enforcement, Medicaid fraud control). Short staffing or systems failures can delay trials, increase incarceration costs and expose the territory to legal and fiscal risk.

Budget snapshot and funding sources - FY2026 general‑fund request: $18,755,216 (personal services $10,375,145; fringe $3,875,684; other services…