Letter: We have reached a breaking point in the DA’s office

The District Attorney’s Office needs your help. The staffing levels in the office have always been low. High caseloads were the norm. Even with seven budgeted Deputy DA’s the work was always overwhelming. We did the best we could with what we had.

We have reached the breaking point. According to our case management system, last calendar year we had nearly 8,900 referrals. There was simply no way that eight people (myself and seven deputies) could review all those cases. In the interim, I had difficulty filling vacant positions. For a period of time I only had four deputies. I have been able since the beginning of the year to fill two of my three vacant deputy DA positions. Right now we have a backlog on approximately 1,400 cases that we simply have not been able to even look at. We are triaging cases with person crimes getting priority over property crimes. On top of that we have had several cases that are extremely time-consuming. For example, there are five Murder in the First Degree and Murder in the Second Degree cases pending. We recently filed an identity theft case involving one defendant that has over 200 victims.

Given the increase in the number of cases, and the number of severe cases pending, the only way I have to address the issue is to hire more deputies. Measure 6-213, the Public Safety Levy, will allow me to increase the number of deputy DA’s from seven to nine. It is my belief that if the Measure passes, and once we are staffed to nine deputy DA’s, that in about one year we can eliminate the backlog and keep caught up.

The District Attorney’s Office can no longer handle the number of cases being referred to it with current staffing. Simply put, we need help. I need your help. I ask that you vote yes on Measure 6-213 and give the DA’s Office the help we need.

R. Paul Frasier

Coos County District Attorney