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Prosecuting attorney tells commissioners caseloads are above recommended levels, requests position conversions
Summary
Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney Stan Lawrence told commissioners felony and misdemeanor caseloads exceed public defender benchmarks and requested converting misdemeanor assignments to felony work and a promotion to redistribute workload; he estimated next-year cost of about $24,000 and presented attrition statistics.
Prosecuting Attorney Stan Lawrence told the Kootenai County Board of Commissioners on May 7 that his office is facing unusually high caseloads and asked the board to convert several existing positions to address felony workload.
Lawrence presented caseload figures and staffing changes he said would rebalance work: he said felony attorneys averaged about 221 cases per attorney per year, well above the public defender benchmark he cited, and that some misdemeanor attorneys averaged roughly 521 cases per attorney. "Our felony attorneys are ... an average of 221 cases per attorney for the year," he said, and added that converting four misdemeanor attorneys to felony assignments and promoting an existing felony attorney would bring felony caseloads closer to recommended levels.
He described the request as budget-neutral this fiscal year due to salary savings but said the change would increase next year's salary costs by about $24,000. Lawrence also outlined recruitment and attrition challenges, noting several new hires are contingent on candidates passing the July bar and presenting internal attrition statistics to illustrate turnover in early years of employment.
Commissioners pressed on staffing options, timing and budget constraints, and discussed possible overlap hiring to mitigate attrition. The prosecuting attorney said some of the hires are already in hand but not yet fully eligible for court appearances because they must pass the bar.
Why it matters: Lawrence said felony matters have quicker deadlines and higher caseload intensity, arguing the conversions are necessary to preserve prosecutorial capacity and meet criminal-case timelines. The board did not identify a final, permanent funding source during public remarks; staff characterized the current request as budget-neutral this fiscal year and subject to next-year budget impacts.
What happens next: The personnel changes were presented on the agenda and considered during the meeting; staff will process position conversions and adjust budget projections for the next fiscal year. The transcript did not record a detailed vote tally tied to named commissioners for this specific agenda item in the public record.
