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County attorney seeks reinstatement of victim‑witness coordinator, budgets for fourth attorney
Summary
Ellis County Attorney Aaron asked the commission to reinstate a victim‑witness coordinator and to fund staffing that would bring the office up to four attorneys; he cited increased appeals costs, higher Westlaw subscription fees and unpredictable expert‑witness bills as drivers of the request.
County Attorney Aaron presented the office's proposed budget and asked the commission to reinstate a victim‑witness coordinator, proposing to train an existing legal assistant through the end of 2026 and promote that person in 2027 if the commission restores the position.
Aaron told commissioners that victim dockets and last‑minute motions to modify bond mean staff sometimes have less than an hour to notify victims and that a dedicated coordinator would avoid missed notices. "Sometimes we have less than an hour to get in contact with them," he said. He also described routine cost increases: the county's Westlaw subscription was upgraded to allow an AI‑detection feature and the attorney general's office has assessed a percentage increase for appeals work.
Aaron outlined other cost pressures: expert witnesses can drive trial expenses (he cited one expert bill of $11,000) and in‑house appeals would be far more expensive—he said one appeal he handled would have cost about $13,000 if billed at private rates. He reported the office currently has two assistant county attorneys though the budget is written for four and said a tentative hire could join in September pending a bar exam result.
Why it matters: the request would restore an office position tied directly to victims' rights and informs the commission's wider budget choices for 2027. Commissioners asked questions about caseload, training and how the line items break down; Aaron said staff will use available training opportunities and existing institutional resources while the office transitions.
Provenance: topic introduced SEG 053, discussion continued through SEG 336.
