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District attorney, district court seek higher funds as caseloads and legal duties rise
Summary
District Attorney Mike Kegue and court officials presented budget increases tied to heavy caseloads and new statutory duties, and described specialty-court and self-help initiatives. Both offices asked commissioners to fund higher attorney costs and staffing.
District Attorney Mike Kegue told Shawnee County commissioners his office handles roughly 11,000 cases a year and carries about 25 prosecutors, equating to approximately 435 new cases per prosecutor annually. "Each one of those cases represents a real person who lives in our community," Kegue said, stressing the personnel and operating demands of the caseload and outlining a requested wage increase for the office. He said wages account for $412,681.34 of the requested budget increase, benefits $212,264.46, and operating costs just under $40,000.
Kegue said his office currently has three attorney vacancies, two entry-level offers pending bar results and one more senior vacancy that was filled earlier today with orientation underway.
Court Administrator Lee Welch presented the district court’s 2027 request, noting an overall increase of about $174,000 driven by cost-of-living and benefits. Welch said specialty court funding for drug and veterans treatment courts remains level and highlighted a newly awarded $30,000 drawdown grant from the Office of Judicial Administration to support alternative outpatient treatment (AOT) incentives. Chief Judge Steven Evertz described AOT as early-stage but promising, with about 10 participants to date and two graduates.
Welch also raised an item in the packet concerning Guardian ad Litem compensation: the materials presented an increase described in the hearing as a change from $500 per case to $11,000 per case for about 100 cases. Commissioners and staff questioned the figure; court staff should confirm and provide corrected packet numbers if needed.
Both Kegue and Evertz said they are coordinating with the sheriff and community corrections about the recent statutory changes to pretrial/bonding procedures and assessing local operational and fiscal implications. Evertz said judges have adjusted bond-scheduling procedures to provide flexibility and that some internal system changes aim to ease local burdens.
Ending: Commissioners asked for follow-up documentation on line-item details, vacancy timing and confirmation of the guardian ad litem figures; staff will return with clarifications for the budget model.
