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District attorney's office asks county for pay increases, more staff to handle surging digital evidence
Summary
The District Attorney's Office requested funding for prosecutor pay increases, a 10% bump to legal-assistant base pay (starting pay cited as $36,000), and two new administrative positions — a crime-analyst technician and an additional legal assistant — to address a growing digital-evidence backlog that the office says is delaying cases.
The District Attorney's Office told county budget planners it needs new funding for staff and salary increases to address "real challenges" in recruiting and to process a flood of digital evidence. A representative for the office said the office is "down 25%" of its prosecutor positions, describing the staffing shortfall as "9 out of 12." The request was presented as part of the office's budget request for the next fiscal year.
The office asked for a pay increase for prosecutors and a 10% raise to the base pay for legal assistants (the speaker said a typical starting pay for legal assistance is $36,000). The presentation argued that legal assistants perform specialized tasks — drafting indictments, preparing plea paperwork and organizing large volumes of discovery — and that turnover drives trained staff to higher-paying jobs outside the office.
Officials detailed a mounting backlog of digital media. The presenters said the office processed about 117,000 digital items in 2024, about 126,000 in 2025, and has already processed roughly 81,900 so far in 2026 — projecting the workload could reach 150,000–160,000 items this year. The DA's office asked for funding for a crime-analyst technician to convert, tag and prepare digital files for discovery sharing; presenters warned that delays can have legal consequences, noting an offender could be entitled to release if indictment processing exceeds 90 days.
County staff asked follow-up questions about how the intake and crime-analyst work would be streamlined and suggested further meetings to refine operational details. The presenters emphasized the request was driven by operational necessity: "This is a matter of public safety," one speaker said, asking the board to provide resources to avoid case delays and protect the community.
No formal vote was taken during the presentation; staff and the DA's office agreed to continue discussions and refine budget language for future agenda items.
