County to add 4th prosecutor

County to add 4th prosecutor

Move will allow judicial district to expidete cases

news@theeveningtimes.com

The Quorum Court has granted a request by prosecutor Scott Ellington to fund a fourth prosecutor for the county.

Ellington told the Quorum Court that a prosecutor in another district offered to let him have one of his deputy prosecutor slots because it is currently not being used due to a medical issue.

“He pulled me aside during one of our board meetings and told me that he had a position,” Ellington said. “Someone who had been in that position has been ill and is no longer in that position. He said the other deputy in the county was able to handle the work, and that he would like to use some of that money to give him more money. He and I have had a good relationship over the years, so he said he would give me part of the money and that he would wait until 2019 to get one.”

Ellington said the 2nd Judicial District, which includes Crittenden County, has needed another parttime prosecutor to handle cases for a long time.

The state has 28 elected prosecutors and 256 state approved deputy prosecutor positions that it funds.

Ellington said he had planned to ask the legislature to fund an additional prosecutor for the district, but since 2018 is a fiscal session for the legislature, he wouldn’t be able to get the position until 2019 when they meet in a regular session.

Also, the legislature likes to authorize the number of deputy prosecutors in one bill and not as the requests come in.

“Some of them have their own agenda and may go to the legislature and get one for themselves,” Ellington said. “But that is frowned on because we want to keep them all together, and that way we move together as a group rather than having one not get one and another get one.”

Ellington said the state prosecuting attorney coordinator informed him that he has the money to cover the rest of the salary as long the county can pay for the office expenses.

Crittenden County has one full time prosecutor and three part-time prosecutors which they pay office expenses for. “So before I accept an additional position I wanted the Quorum Court’s assurance that we could support this new position,” Ellington said. Ellington said having a fourth prosecutor will help improve public safety and lower crime by allowing them to take on more cases. “(County Prosecutor) Boone (Nance) does more work than his allotted time,” Ellington said. “He works very hard and so do the other prosecutors. Each of the trial attorneys can prepare maybe three cases during the trial term, and maybe a couple on the back burner. Having a back up deputy who can take additional cases will move the docket forward and reduce the number on the docket.”

Nance said it has been 30 years since they have had an additional prosecutor.

“We have been working with that number of deputy prosecutors for the last 30 years and I can assure you that crime statistics and the number of cases we have now are much greater than they were in 1987,” Nance said.

Justice Vickie Robertson agreed that the county could use another prosecutor.

“It’s not going to cost us anything as far as the salary goes, just the office expenses,” Robertson said.

The $20,000 will cover the salary for a secretary, office rent, supplies, and for telephone expenses.

By Mark Randall