Transcript 2011-2012 Budget - the Site of Hopewell

Hopewell’s Commonwealth’s
Attorney’s Office
FY2011-2012 Budget Request
PART ONE: Equipment
Providing the tools necessary to
prosecute criminals
OFFICE EQUIPMENT
• The VA Compensation Board provides NO
FUNDING for purchase of equipment.
• It has been many years since new
equipment has been procured for the
office.
• Fully functioning electronics is necessary
for the proper function of the office.
Problems with Equipment
• Only one computer in the office is capable
of copying CD’s and DVD’s which is
necessary to comply with court orders of
discovery and other important functions.
• Most computers and laptops cannot play
the disks from the police department.
• Employees have had to bring their
personal laptops in to play disks.
Problems with Equipment
• Employees have had to use their personal
laptops to conduct discovery meetings
with defense attorneys for drug cases and
other cases with video evidence.
• Personal Laptops have had to be used for
PowerPoint slide presentations during
recent Jury Trials.
• The time has come for upgrades.
Original Equipment Request
• The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
originally requested $10,000.00 (to
$14,000.00 in a meeting with the City
Manager) to procure new computers for
the office.
• Since that request the situation has
become more dire.
New Equipment Problems
• The company responsible for servicing our
copiers has informed us that they will no
longer be able to service them after July
1st due the machines being so outdated.
• We have had over a dozen calls for
service on our machines in the last year.
• A high-volume copy machine is absolutely
vital to our office function.
New Equipment Request
• Based on the recent issues with the
copier, we will need to replace it within the
next fiscal year.
• We are therefore requesting an additional
$10,000.00 to replace the copier in
addition to the $14,000.00 for the
computers.
One-time Equipment Purchase
• The total request for the Computers and
Copier is $24,000.00.
• This is not expected to fully cover the
costs, however we have some limited
funds in drug seizure money that we
intend to use to supply the difference.
• We are doing our part to keep costs low,
but we must have proper equipment.
PART TWO: Staff Salaries
Providing Competitive Pay
Current FundingCommonwealth’s Attorney
• Commonwealth’s Attorney: $113,760
This amount is statutory.
In these tough economic times, NO request
for a supplemental is being made despite the
surrounding localities all supplementing their
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s position.
This amount is entirely paid by the State
Compensation board- no City money is
used to pay it.
Current Funding- Assistant
Commonwealth’s Attorneys
• Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney
$78,914.00
This amount is entirely paid for by the
State Compensation Board.
• Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
$43,473.00
This amount is entirely paid for by the
State Compensation Board
It is under the state minimum of $45,385.00
Current Funding- Juvenile Justice
Assistant Prosecutor
• In a budget crisis almost a decade ago,
the state agreed to maintain funding for
this position if the City of Hopewell
covered a portion of the salary.
• Currently the salary is $43,473 of which
$25,936 is paid by the state and $17,537
is paid by the City of Hopewell.
• It is still under the state minimum base
salary of $45,385.00.
Current Funding-Staff
• Office Administrator $32,495.00
Entirely paid for by the State
• Paralegal $23,723.00
Entirely paid for by the State
• Administrative Assistant $23,723.00
Entirely paid for by the State
Disparity with Surrounding Localities
• Every surrounding locality supplements
their Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
salaries beyond the State Compensation
Board and beyond the state minimums.
• While big localities like Chesterfield
provide numerous additional positions and
much more competitive pay scales, even
our small neighbors are way ahead of us.
Locality Supplements Beyond State Compensation
Board Salaries and State Minimum Salaries
$120,000.00
$100,000.00
$80,000.00
$60,000.00
$40,000.00
$20,000.00
$0.00
Prince
George
Colonial
Heights
Petersburg
Sussex
Average
Hopewell
Hopewell Lags Behind
• Hopewell is the ONLY locality in our
region that fails to supplement the salaries
of the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
• The Average supplement for the
surrounding localities in our area with
similarly sized offices is $61,000.00.
The Disparity Extends Within the
City of Hopewell
• Comparable positions within the City of
Hopewell show a significant disparity in wages:
 Administrative and Paralegal positions are on
average at least $10,000-$20,000 lower for the
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office than they are
for the City.
 Administrative assistant positions, paralegal
positions, and many police positions pay more
than the lawyers in the Commonwealth’s
Attorney’s Office.
WE NEED COMPETITIVE PAY
• In order to attract and retain qualified
employees, we must have a pay scale that
is comparable to the surrounding areas.
• Public sector legal work already pays less
than private, so Hopewell cannot afford to
continue being at the very bottom of the
barrel.
• We have an excellent staff who deserve
competitive pay.
Funding Package to Bring
Hopewell Up to Date
• We are requesting $60,000.00 in
supplemental, which is actually less than
the regional average, to supplement our
six positions and create improved ability to
retain qualified individuals.
• If Hopewell is serious about fighting crime,
it needs to get serious about equal pay for
the employees of the Commonwealth’s
Attorney’s Office.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office
is doing great work for the city
• Set up a Sexual Assault Response Team
(SART) to help respond to victims of
sexual assault.
• Is sponsoring for the second year in a row
the Anti-Gang Basketball Tournament for
Youth at the Hopewell High School on
May 7, 2011.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s
Office is fighting drug dealers
• Rejoined the Central Virginia MultiJurisdictional Narcotics Task Force Grand
Jury to pursue regional drug dealers who
conduct business in Hopewell.
• Worked with the ATF, FBI, DEA, and US
Attorney’s Office to bring additional
resources to combat drugs, gangs, guns,
and other violent crime in Hopewell.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office has
targeted repeat offender drug dealers:
• Instituted a jury trial program in July 2010 for repeat drug
dealers and other violent criminals to increase
convictions and sentences for repeated offenders.
• Success: Every offender targeted so far has plead guilty
to all their charges without a plea bargain.
• Unfortunately the effort has yet to reach its full potential
due to decision of the City Manager and former-Police
Chief to halt all anti-narcotics activity and suspend the
CSU in August 2010, which is still in effect today.
• The incoming police chief has indicated he will resume
targeting and arresting drug dealers soon and the
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office will continue this
program and hopefully lead to much greater success.
We are excited to get this program fully going!
Major Homicide Prosecutions:
• Rontel Taylor- Guilty of 2nd Degree Murder and use of a
firearm: Sentenced to 43 Years
• William Stringfield- Guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter and
sentenced to the maximum 10 years.
• Shawn Wooden- Guilty of 2 counts of 2nd Degree Muder
and possession of a firearm after felon: Jury
Recommended Sentence of 45 years.
• Donald Long- A cold case from 1964, which
unfortunately had to be nolle prossed. This was an
unfortunate set-back as we still believe in Mr. Long’s
guilt but were unable to prove it beyond a reasonable
doubt after so much time had passed.
Other Major Jury Trial Victories
• Tynesha Chavis, was convicted by a Hopewell
Jury of felony child neglect in a recent Jury Trial
tried by our Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney
and Juvenile Justice Prosecutor. Sentencing is
set for June 6, 2011.
• Steven Setzer- This was the high speed chase
through Hopewell in 2009. In 2010, we
successfully convicted Mr. Setzer of felony
eluding and attempted malicious wounding
where he received a 7 year sentence for putting
so many of Hopewell’s citizens in harms way.
Great Working Relationship with
Law Enforcement
• In addition to the cooperation with the Virginia
State Police on dozens of cases, and other
federal agencies, the Hopewell
Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office has worked
closely with the Hopewell Sheriff’s Department
on several important criminal cases.
• We have worked closely with the Sheriff’s
Department on the I-295 project and have
provided support to their office as requested.
Great Working Relationship with
Law Enforcement
• Contrary to the attempts of some in the media to portray a bad
relationship with the Hopewell Bureau of Police, the opposite is true.
• From Day One, we instituted an open door policy for the police
officers. They are able to come in any time without appointment and
see one of our attorneys immediately for help on cases. We have
worked closely to accommodate scheduling and continuances to
ensure that police officers’ vacations, training, and family
emergencies are not harmed by court appearances.
• Our attorneys and staff assist with search warrants, DNA testing,
subpoena requests, and other legal matters every day for any officer
who asks for our assistance.
• Our relationship with the Police Officers and Detectives is
professional and of the highest degree of excellence.
• Officers come and go from our office every day without needing to
schedule appointments, are able to reach us 24 hours a day for
advice, and are treated in the most professional manner possible.
Great Working Relationship with
Victim Witness
• We have enjoyed a great working relationship
with the Victim Witness Program and provided
great support to our victims and witnesses.
• Despite the City Manager unilaterally moving the
project in May over “Personnel Matters”, we
continued to work together every day without
interruption and the City Manager has recently
vindicated our personnel decision by
implementing the exact personnel move we
made in May. The Program has benefitted
tremendously and is one of the best in the state
now.
Working Hard=Earning Results
The 2nd Lowest Felony Nolle Prosequi/
Dismissal Rate in the Region in 2010
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
Prince
George
Hopewell
Colonial
Heights
Chesterfield Sixth District
Dinwiddie
Petersburg
Let’s Fight Crime Together
• $24,000 in One time supplement for
equipment
• $60,000 in competitive pay salary
supplement
• YOUR Commonwealth’s Attorney’s
Office needs YOUR support.