The Stephenson County Services Committee voted Jan. 7 to approve a $21,000 county contribution to the Illinois Appellate Prosecutor to handle appellate work and related legal services.

Mister Larson, the State's Attorney, told the committee the appellate prosecutor’s office "wants the county to to contribute to that cost, and they've said that contribution of $21,000 this year." He said the expense is included in the committee’s budget.

Larson outlined why the county seeks outside appellate help, saying it could perform the work in-house but that would effectively require hiring another attorney. "Somewhere between 70 and $80,000 a year is what it would cost if we wanted to do it in house," he said, and outsourcing provides specialized appellate experience for a smaller sum.

Committee members asked about caseload variability and how long appeals typically take; Larson said time per case depends on complexity — from a few days for straightforward suppression issues to months for complex first-degree murder appeals — and estimated the office handles roughly a dozen to 20 appeals in a year depending on case mix.

A motion to approve the resolution was moved and seconded and passed by voice vote. The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the meeting transcript. The funding is already included in the budget line discussed during the meeting.