GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) - The Brown County’s District Attorney’s office is dealing with a backlog of over a thousand referred charges, and now the County Board is looking at tossing $150,000 to them to get caught up.
Last week, the Brown County Public Safety Committee approved the funds to hire a second attorney to handle the backlog that is mostly referred drug related charges.
For years, DA’s office has been severely understaffed. There are only half of the 24 recommended attorneys, because the state isn’t pulling their weight with funding.
District Attorney David Lasee says it is a statewide issue with a shortage of more than 200 prosecutors.
The County Board of Supervisors has the final say on the funds and will take up a vote at their next meeting.
The Brown County Drug Task Force is doing its job and Lasee says they want to make sure they can do theirs. One case could have several charges referred.