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Montcalm commissioners approve short-term contract for retired attorney to handle appeals backlog
Summary
The Montcalm County Board of Commissioners approved a contract allowing the county prosecutor to hire retired attorney Mitchell Wood at $75 an hour, up to 60 hours per month for as long as six months, to address pending appeals and briefs while the prosecutor recruits permanent staff.
Montcalm County commissioners on Jan. 13 authorized the county prosecutor to contract with retired attorney Mitchell (Mitch) Wood at $75 per hour for up to 60 hours per month and for a period not to exceed six months to address an identified backlog of appellate and post-conviction matters.
The request was presented during the meeting's agenda item by the county's prosecuting attorney, who described a backlog of cases the office must respond to and said the office remains short-staffed while recruiting an office manager and at least one assistant prosecutor with criminal experience. The prosecutor said the office had 99 non-incarcerated cases awaiting review as of that morning, down from roughly 134 at an earlier point.
The prosecutor told commissioners the county had identified seven appeals or cases needing immediate attention, including matters at the Court of Appeals or Michigan Supreme Court, and asked for authority to retain Wood, who recently retired from the Michigan Attorney General's Office and currently serves as a special assistant attorney general. The prosecutor said Wood could provide short-term help while the office markets a permanent hire; he estimated the cleanup could be as short as 90 days but requested latitude for up to six months.
Commissioners asked about previous similar contracts and current office capacity. One commissioner noted an earlier contract approved in December and asked whether the county would need to increase assistant prosecutor pay to recruit candidates. The prosecutor said he expected to remain within the county's overall salary cap for the year and described plans to expand revenue sources — including OWI reimbursements and civil forfeiture activity — to help manage costs.
Commissioner Mehar moved to allow the prosecution office to hire Mitchell Wood on the terms described. The motion was supported, called, and carried by voice vote.
The contract approval is intended as a temporary measure while the prosecutor pursues a permanent assistant prosecutor hire and an office manager. Commissioners and staff said they expect the county controller to track any additional costs and report back if the arrangement becomes longer term.
