With the addition of a third attorney in May, the Marinette County District Attorney’s Office is once again fully staffed, but that doesn’t mean anyone’s workload has gotten any smaller. District Attorney DeShea Morrow spoke to the County’s Board of Supervisors Tuesday and told them her office is on-track to review nearly 50% more felony referrals this year as they did in 2015. Most importantly, she adds, they’ve been able to address these new cases while also beginning to chip away at the over 400-case backlog that exists.
The DA’s Office has also seen an increase in Children in Need of Protection or Services cases over the last few years. Morrow says this can be attributed in-part to the ongoing opioid abuse epidemic.
Partial state funding allows the third attorney in the DA’s office to be a full-time position, but Morrow says that funding is currently set to expire in December of 2019. Since 2016 the Marinette County District Attorney’s Office has seen five staffing changes in their four positions.