The Shasta County Board of Supervisors has voted to provide a $10,000 retention bonus to attorneys in the district attorney’s office, public defender’s office, and county counsel’s office. This decision is an effort to address the staffing shortages in these offices, which have been struggling with non-competitive salaries and high caseloads.
Staffing Shortages and Their Impact
According to District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett, her office has 19 prosecutors out of 28 authorized positions. The shortage has resulted in long case filing times, last-minute trial continuances, and many cases not being prosecuted at all. Bridgett also mentioned that local law enforcement agencies submitted over 11,700 cases to the DA’s office last year, with about 6,000 being filed with the courts.
Public Defender Ashley Jones also presented her concerns about the staffing shortage in her office, which has only 17 attorneys out of 22 authorized positions. Jones stated that the lack of experienced staff adds training burdens and delays the resolution of serious cases. She also mentioned that nearly half of the public defense attorneys have less than three years of experience in the field.
Efforts to Address the Issue
The board’s decision to provide retention bonuses is seen as a temporary solution to the staffing shortage. Bridgett and Jones have both emphasized the need for more competitive salaries to attract and retain experienced attorneys. The board also approved the purchase of Axon AI extension, a digital evidence software that will assist the offices in processing law enforcement body camera footage more efficiently.
Bridgett has requested a three-year plan to provide $10,000 bonuses to prosecutors each year. However, the board can only allocate funding for the current year. Bridgett hopes that the board will consider extending the retention bonuses for an additional two years as they address the broader issue of competitive pay through ongoing labor negotiations.
Original reporting: Shasta Scout (Redding) — read the source article.
