Board approves District Attorney budget as D.A. warns of shrinking victim-witness grants, highlights racial‑blind charging rollout

The Lake County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to adopt the District Attorneybudget units covering general operations, the victim-witness unit and related program funding.

District Attorney Susan Kronos told the board she appreciated the county's recent pay increases for victim-witness advocates, saying higher salaries have helped morale and retention. She warned, however, that federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds routed through the state have steadily declined and the office does not yet know the amount it will receive this fiscal year; she said she may seek county funds if the state allocation falls short.

Kronos also summarized changes to charging procedures required by a new state law that took effect Jan. 1, which removes identifying characteristics including race from law enforcement reports before prosecutors initially review them. She said implementation increases staff time for redaction and case review, but her office started the process on the statutory start date. Kronos said the office has also been handling a large volume of serious criminal cases, including two active fentanyl-homicide prosecutions and several cold-case investigations.

The board's action approved the budget as presented for the DA'Office'units the department requested. No other changes to program scope or staffing were made during the vote.

Kronos and board members also discussed asset forfeiture practice: she said forfeiture proceeds typically come from drug cases and usually require a conviction or a stipulation before funds are distributed to the office.

Board action and next steps: the board approved the budget units at the hearing. Kronos said she will notify the board if staff must request county funds to keep victim-witness services if VOCA funding is insufficient once the State finalizes its budget.