Commonwealth Attorney asks supervisors for attorneys, paralegals and admin staff as caseloads surge

Commonwealth Attorney Amy Ashworth told the Board of County Supervisors on Dec. 2 that her office faces rising caseloads and mounting administrative strain and asked the board to approve a multi-year plan to add personnel and upgrade digital-evidence systems. "Today our office is composed of 61 prosecutors, 28 administrative staff, and 17 victim witness team members," Ashworth said, and described a more than 25% increase in criminal case filings over two years that is producing heavier discovery, more digital evidence and greater courtroom demands.

Ashworth asked for 10 additional attorney positions, 10 paralegals, 16 administrative staff and estimated five victim-witness positions to be phased in over four years, noting the county has already provided recent positions that helped improve handling of misdemeanor dockets. She argued administrative hires and paralegals would free prosecutors to focus on trials and victims, reducing burnout and late discovery production. "With proper administrative staffing, our prosecutors can do what they were hired to do," Ashworth said.

Supervisors pressed for context on regional staffing and funding. Supervisor Franklin asked why Prince William County received 10 of the 70 statewide positions funded by the Compensation Board; Ashworth said the board awards positions iteratively based on an assessed percentage need. Ashworth compared local staffing to neighboring jurisdictions and noted differences in case mix and complexity — for example, jurisdictions with higher homicide counts require more prosecutors.

The presentation included a personnel breakdown, staffing standards from a 2023 statewide time study, and examples of operational efficiencies such as an in‑office IT hire who developed an AI-assisted transcription and summary tool. Ashworth also described a pay discrepancy that affected retention: a Police Department job posting for victim-service work listed a starting salary about $20,000 higher than comparable positions in the Commonwealth Attorney's Office, which she said had caused interest in police vacancies among her staff.

Ashworth answered supervisor questions about specialty dockets, grand jury use and workload trends, and said the office will press the General Assembly for additional statewide funding. The board did not take an immediate vote on staffing requests; Ashworth said final availability for attorney positions will depend partly on the General Assembly and the Compensation Board this spring.