• Home
  • News
    • Politics / Govt
    • Legislature
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
    • Archives
  • Sports
    • Badgers
    • Packers
      • Titletown Report
    • Brewers
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support

Wisconsin Radio Network

Wisconsin News and Sports

You are here: Home / Crime / Courts / Using court fees to fund prosecutor positions

Using court fees to fund prosecutor positions

February 12, 2010 By Brian Moon

Kenosha County District Attorney Robert Zapf has come up with a plan to fund the shortages of prosecutors around the state. By adding a $15-to-20 fee to civil forfeiture convictions it could generate up to $2 million in revenue, according to Assistant D.A. Dick Ginkowski. He says the idea is not a far stretch as civil forfeitures, which are non-criminal like traffic offenses, already have other fees tacked on. Ginkowski admits the end goal is to find a long term funding solution without raising taxes, but this assessment would allow offenders to “share the cost.”

Assistant DA Ginkowski (:23)

proscplan21110

With about 400 prosecutors working right now, Wisconsin is already short up to 132 such lawyers. Meanwhile the state is calling for potential cuts.Ginkowski says assessment proposal would only “keep the wolf away from the door” in preventing layoffs but could not pay for more prosecutors to come on staff.

The Department of Administration says budgets for district attorneys are nearly $1.5 million short each year of the two-year state budget. The Association of State Prosecutors has been in contact with D.O.A in hopes of resolving the situation. The union has suggested five furlough days a year to save money.

Zapf sent a letter to four state lawmakers on Tuesday outlining his plan and Ginkowski says there’s been “some interest” so far.

District attorney’s offices being stretched too thin have been a problem for years and Ginkowski says legislators have not adequately addressed the issue. He questions priorites at the capitol as the state Senate recently passed a bill to add more than 45 public defenders; “Where’s the justice in that? Where is the justice for the citizens of Wisconsin who are the victims of these crimes?”

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, Legislature



Featured Stories

Panthers rally to upset Wright State in Horizon League quarterfinals

Jokic leads Denver in rout of the Bucks

Can Packers make a splash in free agency? Aaron Jones?

Wisconsin was better but still falls short at Purdue

Assembly Republicans propose bills to prohibit transgender girls from girls’ sports

TwitterFacebook

Sports Headlines

Panthers rally to upset Wright State in Horizon League quarterfinals

Jokic leads Denver in rout of the Bucks

Can Packers make a splash in free agency? Aaron Jones?

Wisconsin was better but still falls short at Purdue

Marquette edges DePaul in Big East action

More Sports

Tweets by @WRN

Get our news delivered to your inbox:

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC