Audit shows Wisconsin is short 117 prosecutors.

• Date: 06 August 2007
• Author: Zemlicka, Jack

Byline: Jack Zemlicka

Caseloads are up and the number of state prosecutors is down, according to a recently concluded audit by the Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB). After the numbers were crunched, Wisconsin was found to be approximately 117 assistant district attorneys short as criminal prosecutions had risen more than 11 percent from 2001 to 2005. "We have a good system in place to determine where prosecutors are needed, and we should use the caseload formula when determining the allocation of Wisconsin's limited resources," said Sen. Jim Sullivan, D-Wauwatosa. "Unfortunately, a system where there are a decreasing number of prosecutors and an increasing number of criminal cases is unsustainable for our communities." But while the LAB included several recommendations, including short-term improvements to the weighted caseload formula and the possibility of a "floating" district attorney among understaffed counties, some believe the immediate focus should be on keeping the current staffing levels intact before seeking additional positions. Catharine White, president of...