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Wayne County prosecutor warns of heavy caseloads, staffing shortfalls and evidence burdens; proposes courtroom data pilot
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Summary
Prosecutor Kim Worthy told the committee the general trials division handles a large share of felony filings, faces turnover and double‑booking that hamper trial preparation under a 90‑day trial track, and seeks additional staff, training and a small pilot of courtroom data experts to reduce administrative burdens.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kim Worthy and her general trials leadership told the Committee on Public Safety, Judiciary, and Homeland Security that the division faces a heavy case volume, staffing shortages and growing evidence burdens that have raised dismissals, increased plea offers and strained morale.
Worthy said the prosecutor’s office handles a substantial share of felony cases statewide and described several capacity drivers: 31,000 referrals in a recent year window, 9,810 charged cases for the general trials unit and thousands of pieces of digital evidence per case. Deputy Chief Sarah DeYoung and Chief Terry Anderson outlined the division’s structure — 27 assistant prosecuting attorneys (APAs) assigned to 23 courtrooms, five docket attorneys who supervise teams, four lead attorneys and specialized victim advocates and paralegals — and explained that the unit serves as a training ground for less‑experienced prosecutors.
Presenters described operational stresses: many APAs routinely manage roughly 70 active cases, evidence sets now include large cell‑phone extractions, multiple body‑worn camera feeds and social‑media archives, and judges’ strict adherence to a 90‑day trial track can result in double‑booking and, in some instances, dismissals when forensic or expert work cannot be completed in time. The office said turnover — in part driven by competing hiring from neighboring counties — and a high proportion of early‑career APAs mean the division needs more training and staffing; speakers recommended two APAs per courtroom in major jurisdictions and requested funding for training and other personnel.
To address data and administrative burdens, the prosecutor’s office proposed a small pilot to place a data specialist in a limited number of courtrooms to capture accurate digital case records and relieve APAs of time‑consuming data entry tasks; staff said the pilot is included in the budget request. Worthy emphasized the office’s gatekeeper role in referring treatment/diversion programs and noted that several specialty programs (veterans court, mental‑health court, sobriety court and diversion programs) produce successful outcomes but often lack steady funding.
Commissioners asked for further budget detail; Worthy said the requested figures will appear in the office’s budget presentation and offered to return with more program‑level information. The presentation concluded with a request for resources to reduce docket congestion and improve trial readiness.
What happens next: Prosecutor Worthy will include staffing and pilot details in the office’s budget presentation to the commission.
