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County wants state to pay more for prosecutions By Dani Dodge Jackson County commissioners voted Wednesday to support an effort to increase the state�s contribution to district attorney offices by $20 million in the next two years. "We feel that the state has delegated the responsibility for financing prosecution more to local government and has reduced their responsibility," Commissioner Jack Walker said. Walker notes that at the same time, local governments� ability to tax has been reduced. "It�s just unfair that they are continuing to reduce our ability to fund prosecution, but at the same time forcing us to spend more money on prosecutions." A resolution by the Association of Oregon Counties requests that the state increase its share of prosecution costs by $20 million. The state currently spends $9.4 million each biennium. Before the commissioners voted unanimously to support the resolution, though, Sams Valley resident Walt Fitzgerald requested to speak on the matter. The commissioners declined to let him or others speak at the meeting before they approved the resolution. "Where we have decision-making authority, a public hearing would be appropriate," said Commissioner Sue Kupillas. "But we are advising and giving support for Jack to lobby in the Legislature. ... I�m feeling like your input to the Legislature is vitally important and you need to contact your state representatives and senators if you have more comment." Walker has made a campaign of trying to get the state to address what he sees as an imbalance between the money the state spends on indigent defense and on prosecution. The county shares the cost of prosecution, while the state bears the entire burden for defending people who can�t afford their own attorneys. (The resolution does not address the imbalance. It only speaks to the need for the state to pony up more money to help prosecute crimes.) "The governor�s proposed budget has a 24.5 percent increase for indigent defense, and prosecution only has a 1 percent increase," Walker said. The governor�s budget includes a $24.7 million increase for indigent defense. Bert Putney, director of Southern Oregon Public Defenders, said the money is intended to bring public defenders� salaries in line with prosecutors across the state. Walker asserts, though, that the money would be better spent on prosecution to end the "logjams" in the judicial system, or on seniors� programs such as Oregon Project Independence, which is slated for cuts. "All over the state, people should be asking, �What is more important: salary increases to indigent defense attorneys or support for seniors?�" Walker said. At the end of the meeting, during a time set aside to allow the public to speak on any matter, Fitzgerald and several others said they were concerned about the state giving more money to prosecutors because they believe problems and abuses abound in the judicial system. "Measure 11 gave the district attorney a great deal of power," Fitzgerald said. "If indigent funds have risen to meet that, that�s good." Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.