County attorney seeks to reinstate victim‑witness coordinator as part of 2027 budget request

The elected county attorney asked the Ellis County Commission on July 21 to reinstate a victim‑witness coordinator position and to train Laurie Dreiling this year as a legal assistant with a planned promotion in 2027 if the commission funds the role.

The attorney said the office previously cut the victim‑witness coordinator role and later found the position “essential,” citing frequent, time‑sensitive victim notification needs tied to bond‑modification motions. “Sometimes we have less than an hour to get in contact with them,” he said. He explained the office cut a traffic clerk last year but needs the victim‑witness role to avoid missed notifications and to support victims during hearings.

In outlining other budget changes, the attorney described higher contract service costs (he identified Westlaw and a higher subscription tier), increased appeal costs covered by the attorney general’s office, and larger professional‑fee needs for expert witnesses during trials. “We spent over 60% of our annual budget on that one trial,” he said, describing variability in expert fees.

Commissioners asked about current staffing levels and caseload. The attorney said the office currently has two assistant county attorneys plus the elected official, is budgeted for four assistant attorneys, and expects a tentative hire who will take the bar exam in September. The commission did not take immediate action; the budget will be reviewed further during upcoming budget work sessions.

The presentation was part of a broader two‑day budget review; county staff later told the commission the overall proposed budget reductions had trimmed roughly $860,000 from earlier projections.