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Prosecutor asks Hancock County for dedicated juvenile prosecutor and paralegal as juvenile cases rise
Summary
A county prosecutor asked the council to add a deputy prosecutor and a paralegal focused on juvenile cases in the 2027 budget, citing about 118 referrals and 30 filed juvenile matters to date, growing case severity, and substantial overtime in the office.
Mr. Eaton addressed the council to request two positions for the 2027 budget: a deputy prosecutor to focus on juvenile cases and a paralegal to manage juvenile case intake and redaction requirements.
He said the prosecutor’s office had recorded roughly 118 juvenile referrals as of the day before the meeting and had filed about 30 of those. Office staff have logged more than 2,000 hours of paid and unpaid overtime over the last two years, he said, and the current handling of juvenile matters is ad hoc and inefficient. He described more serious juvenile incidents in recent months — motor-vehicle recklessness on e-bikes, firearms-related cases and violent behavior — and argued a dedicated prosecutor and paralegal would create a consistent point of contact for probation, police and schools and improve the office’s ability to meet strict juvenile timelines and redaction obligations.
Mr. Eaton gave cost estimates for the requested positions: $99,834 for the attorney position (salary plus FICA and PERF) and $53,482.50 for the paralegal role. He noted that a juvenile magistrate position is budgeted to begin in summer 2027 and discussed whether the new prosecutor staff should be pursued before that magistrate arrives or coordinated with that change.
Council members expressed sympathy for the workload but raised fiscal concerns. One councilor asked whether dedicating staff would increase detention days and detention costs; Mr. Eaton said that was uncertain and that better resourcing could also reduce housing costs by moving cases to timely resolution. Members also asked about hiring timelines and whether existing staff had capacity; Mr. Eaton said the office had no unfilled positions and that new hires would cover juvenile matters and other overflow tasks.
What happens next: This presentation was for council consideration; no vote occurred. The proposal will be considered as part of the 2027 budget process, where the council will weigh staffing priorities and projected revenues and expenditures.
