A continuous cycle: North Dakota’s state’s attorneys are swamped Thursday, October 24, 2019

KX News

According to Burleigh County State’s Attorney Julie Lawyer, the number of criminal cases put on her plate goes up three to five percent every year. And, the hire-rate isn’t keeping up with the workload.

You can see the hundreds of cases stacked up on Julie Lawyer’s desk, and while three to five percent may not sound like much, it adds up fast.

And this directly affects all of us, because cases are going on longer, and many are waiting months and months to see their day in court, and potentially, clear their name. The lesser the offense, the longer the wait.

The all-time low point for Lawyer’s office was in January. They were down six fulltime attorneys out of 14.

Read more at: https://www.kxnet.com/news/local-news/a-continuous-cycle-north-dakotas-states-attorneys-are-swamped/