State's Attorney: nearly 2,000 felony cases last year, half related to drugs; office seeks more staff and opioid‑fund support

Pennington County State's Attorney Laura Wretzel and senior prosecutors presented a year‑end review of 2025, reporting that the office filed nearly 2,000 felony cases last year and handled a sharp volume of misdemeanor prosecutions and diversion programs.

"Last year our office filed nearly 2,000 felony cases," Chief Deputy Gina Nelson said, summarizing workload across the felony division. Nelson told the commissioners that roughly half of felony filings were drug‑related — including methamphetamine and fentanyl cases — and that drug matters remain the largest single case category.

"Drug offenses constitute almost half of our felony cases," Nelson told the board, and while some serious violent crimes remained steady or declined slightly, assaults on law enforcement and aggravated‑assault matters increased. She noted the office is operating with high caseloads per attorney and is actively recruiting; several attorney positions were vacant but have since been filled with more hires expected through the summer.

Wretzel described initiatives intended to address substance abuse and related crime, including participation in an opioid‑task force aiming to direct settlement funds to local programs and a university law‑school apprenticeship program that will bring new, licensed attorneys into the office after a 500‑hour apprenticeship in exchange for two years of public service. "That program will help recruit new attorneys into the office and provide hands‑on experience," she said.

The presentation also covered ongoing enforcement against retail sellers of synthetic THC products and Delta‑8/10 products that were being sold over the counter; the office and law enforcement have issued warning letters, undertaken testing, and pursued prosecutions where items tested as illegal or when vendors sold prohibited products.

Commissioners asked for details on how recent state parole enforcement changes had affected local jail populations; Wretzel said increased enforcement of parole violations has led to more holds and additional charges brought to the county, creating short‑term pressure on jail numbers while improving longer‑term public safety by holding repeat offenders accountable.

The office highlighted successful diversion numbers: more than 1,100 adults entered diversion programs with the majority completing successfully, and nearly 570 youths participated in juvenile diversion with high completion rates. Staff noted that diversion programs and a new traffic diversion pilot were positive tools to reduce court caseloads while holding offenders accountable.

Commissioners pressed staff about staffing needs and retention, comparing recommended national caseload guidelines with local reality: Nelson said attorneys in the office carry an average of roughly 200 open felonies each, far above national recommendations. Wretzel and department leaders asked the commission to consider staffing and budget needs as part of the coming budget cycle.

The presentation closed with an appeal to pursue opioid‑settlement funds for treatment and prevention and to keep building court efficiencies; Wretzel said the office will return with more information on courtroom changes and staffing requests in the coming budget discussions.