‘Public safety emergency’: Delaware County prosecutor to ask for more funding next month
Delaware County’s prosecuting attorney says his office can’t properly get justice in county courts without a funding increase for expenses and salaries. As IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports, he’s planning a big financial ask for the Delaware County Council next month.
Eric Hoffman (Photo: Delaware County)
“If we lose one more deputy prosecuting attorney, that’s going to be a four-alarm emergency in Delaware County. We won’t have the staff to try murder cases. We won’t have the staff to investigate them.”
Eric Hoffman says an increase in murders and drug overdose deaths and lack of salary increases to keep qualified lawyers has severely hindered the county’s abilities in court.
He cites a report from the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council that says Delaware County has less than half of the prosecutors needed to properly do its job. Hoffman tells the county council it has a duty by law to fund the office at an “appropriate level,” and he’s not asking for more than he needs.
“I don’t like to tout that around and wave it like a flag, like I’ll take you to court and sue you. But I will. This is a public safety emergency that I’m here to ask for.”
Hoffman says the funding request he’ll bring to the council in March will go to litigation expenses – like witness fees, videos and transcripts of interviews and cases, and hired experts for overdose cases and psychiatric defenses.
As an example, Hoffman says the county has used 25 percent of its yearly witness fees budget by February 26. And he predicts a triple homicide in the county will go to trial this summer, creating a large expense this year.
He’s also asking to increase the salaries for deputy prosecutors, after not being able to fill an open slot in a local court with a qualified candidate at the current salary.
“I looked at all the other counties that were hiring deputy prosecutors in the state. And we were well below – by $10,000 or more – from every other county. We’re talking small counties, counties with, like, 40,000 people. Counties that don’t have murders.”
County council president Jessica Piper told council members Hoffman’s ask could not have come as budgets were considered last fall, as he was waiting on the IPAC staffing report.
Hoffman is also hoping a bill in the House this legislative session (HB 1371) would let him hire one or two more prosecuting attorneys, paid for by the state. That bill did not get voted on in a House committee by a legislative deadline, but the idea could get added to another bill before session ends in April.
Ahead of his official ask in March, Hoffman says he’ll provide documents to council members to show why the extra funds are necessary and where that money could come from, like local option income tax (LOIT) collections.
