Polk County district attorney says office fully staffed, prepared for rising drug prosecutions

Polk County District Attorney Mister Felton told the Board of Commissioners on Feb. 25 that his office is fully staffed, has reduced case backlogs and is prepared to handle recent increases in drug-related crimes.

Felton spoke during the commissioners' regular meeting, giving an overview of staffing, caseloads and operational changes in the District Attorney's Office that he said have improved the office's ability to prosecute cases and respond to new demands.

Felton said the office now has eight attorneys (seven deputy district attorneys plus himself) and a total of 23 staff across prosecution, victim assistance, discovery, child support and other divisions. "We are the healthiest we have been in terms of being staffed and being able to do the work that we're charged with doing," he said.

Why it matters: The office's staffing, training and technology affect how quickly cases move through the system and whether prosecutors can respond to shifts in crime patterns. Commissioners discussed the office's budget and the broader statewide context of public defender shortages and prosecutorial staffing.

Felton described several operational changes and investments: upgrading a case-management and discovery system; targeted training for misdemeanor prosecutors; and competitive salary step increases to retain experienced attorneys. He said those changes have reduced backlogs in person-crime reviews and administrative reports and allowed the office to prioritize higher-casework.

On caseloads, Felton said misdemeanor-level prosecutors typically carry about 100 active cases and higher-level prosecutors carry roughly half that number. He said referrals from law enforcement have been "roughly steady" over the last several months, but cautioned that referral counts fluctuate by agency and by special circumstances — for instance, when Monmouth Municipal Court closed and its cases were absorbed by the county.

Felton addressed a recent rise in drug prosecutions after what he described as a rapid recriminalization of drug offenses. He said the office retained experienced prosecutors who can handle that uptick and that Chief Deputy Wilson supervises much of the drug-work prosecution. "We're set up to handle that because we have experienced deputies who know how to handle drug crimes," Felton said.

He also discussed homicide caseloads, saying a higher number of homicides "on the books" does not necessarily mean Polk County is more dangerous, because homicides typically take longer to investigate and close than other crimes.

On prosecution rates, Felton estimated the office prosecutes roughly three-quarters of referrals it receives. He declined to provide a firm monthly referral count on the floor but offered to provide exact numbers to commissioners after the meeting.

Commissioners asked about rising costs for discovery and licensing. Felton said licensing and case-management fees have gone up, which increases the office's base costs for discovery. He did not provide a precise dollar figure during the discussion.

Felton framed staffing and retention as an economic, not only philosophical, issue: he said Polk County must remain competitive with nearby counties and federal pay scales to retain prosecutors. He said equalizing pay between prosecutors and public defenders would likely require legislative action at the state level.

The presentation ended without formal action by the board; commissioners signaled appreciation and said the information would be useful for the upcoming budget season.