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Prosecutor's office says staffing shortfall is acute, will pilot AI to reduce busywork
Summary
Prosecutor's office officials reported being down eight attorneys and noted a statewide 30% decline in newly licensed attorneys over 15 years; the office plans an AI pilot to handle administrative tasks and free attorneys for court work.
A prosecutor's office official told the meeting that the office is handling successful jury trials even as it struggles with a staffing shortage and plans to test artificial-intelligence tools to reduce administrative burdens.
The official said, "We're down 8 attorneys now," and pointed to a broader trend: "The number of new attorneys being licensed in Missouri has fallen by 30%" over 15 years, which contributes to vacancies. The speaker added that senior assistants have been stepping up to try jury cases and cited two recent trials that produced verdicts in about 45 minutes.
To address workload, the prosecutor's office plans a pilot project using AI "to try to take some of the busy work away and free up people's time," the official said. The meeting discussion framed the pilot as an initial test to reduce administrative tasks so attorneys can focus on courtroom work; no procurement decisions or vendor names for the AI tools were announced at the meeting.
