Citing a lack of staff, dwindling revenue and increasing caseloads, Limestone County District Attorney Brian C.T. Jones on Wednesday requested a $200,000 appropriation from the County Commission for the upcoming fiscal year.

Jones told commissioners he needs at least two more assistant district attorneys to help handle the caseload. He estimated those positions to cost a total of $132,264, or $66,132 each. That figure includes salary, retirement and benefits.

Jones said he simply doesn’t have the money in his budget to pay for the additional staff his office needs. The DA’s office has an annual operating budget in excess of $800,000. A portion of the revenue is provided by the state.

“The state of Alabama paid criminal defense lawyers $688,401 compared to the $197.514.80 (the state provided) to the Limestone County District Attorney’s Office, (which) prosecuted over 9,900 cases in 2017,” Jones told commissioners.

Of those cases, 995 were felony indictments, 2,362 were misdemeanors and 6,587 were traffic cases. So far this year, there have been 468 felony indictments, 1,547 misdemeanors and 3,291 traffic cases. Jones anticipates many more grand jury indictments before year’s end.

Jones said the increased workload could be attributed to a growing population and additional annexations by Madison, Huntsville and Decatur. The county’s population in 2010 was 82,782. According to the 2017 population estimate, there are now 94,402 people who reside in Limestone.

“As much growth as we’ve experienced, it’s not all positive growth,” Commission Chairman Mark Yarbrough told Jones at Wednesday’s work session. “Not everyone that comes here is a law-abiding citizen.”

There are currently six capital murders, 11 murders and other felony cases pending in Limestone County Circuit Court.

A shortage of lawyers (assistant district attorneys) could cost the county in other ways, Jones said, including longer stays in jail for suspects. The county is responsible for feeding them and paying for their medical care while in custody.

Other funding sources and shortfalls

In addition to what Jones’ office receives from the state, his budget is comprised of DA collections, bail bond fees, asset forfeiture, victim service funds and bad check fees. Jones said that funding source has dropped more than $186,000 since 2011.

Jones’ office also receives a solicitor’s fee for cases generated by municipalities within the county — Athens, Ardmore, Decatur, Madison and Huntsville. Act 2009-357 states, “In all juvenile, traffic, criminal and quasi-criminal cases in the juvenile, district, circuit and municipal courts in Limestone County, a docket fee, hereinafter referred to as a solicitor’s fee, shall be assessed in every case. This fee, when collected, shall be distributed monthly to the Solicitor’s Fund in the county or to the fund that may be hereafter prescribed by law for the solicitor’s fee.”

Jones said Athens and Ardmore remitted $243,846.70 in solicitor’s fees to his office in fiscal year 2017. He explained to the commission municipal courts in Huntsville, Madison and Decatur are not paying up.

“Due to a disagreement over the act, the municipal courts in Huntsville, Madison and Decatur failed to pay their solicitor’s fee to this office, and in fact, paid the solicitor’s fee on every misdemeanor or traffic case generated by each municipality in Limestone County to the District Attorney’s Office in Madison County,” Jones said in a letter to the commission.

If a driver receives a traffic citation from a Madison or Huntsville police officer in Limestone County, Jones said his office should receive a solicitor’s fee in the amount of $23.50 from that citation. He told commissioners that officers are not putting GPS locations on their tickets.

In an effort to bring awareness to the issue, Jones also sent budget appropriation requests to Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling, Huntsville Administrator John Hamilton and Megan Zingarelli, attorney for the city of Madison. Each letter also explains the solicitor’s fee act.

“This shortage created by the ongoing financial crisis puts a chilling damper upon this office’s ability to serve the citizens of all Limestone County,” Jones said.

It’s not known when or if the commissioners will vote on Jones’ request. At least two said they needed to research the issue more before making a decision.

The commission will pass its 2018-2019 budget prior to the Oct. 1 start of the next fiscal year.

The Limestone County Commission will hold its next regular meeting at 10 a.m. Friday on the second floor of the Clinton Street Courthouse Annex.