State Attorney General JB Van Hollen says district attorneys offices are shorthanded. He says most Wisconsin jurisdictions are short, some "woefully short."
Van Hollen says arresting people only makes a difference if there is someone to process them through the courts. Wisconsinites including county officials, district attorneys, police and judges have told him about the severe gap in prosecutor staffing. Van Hollen says he's been lobbying Governor Doyle and lawmakers to address the shortfall as part of the next budget.
The state faces a massive budget deficit during a severe economic recession; the AG says that's an even better reason to fully staff cops and courts, as crime rates historically tend to increase during hard economic times.
Governor Doyle will unveil his proposed biennial budget on Tuesday.