BURLINGTON, Iowa (AP) - The Des Moines County Attorney’s office routinely spends more than other prosecutors in similar Iowa counties even though it handles fewer cases.
Some county officials have questioned county attorney Pat Jackson’s $1.2 million budgets in the past, the Burlington Hawk Eye reported (https://bit.ly/1e398hw ).
The county board has already approved Jackson’s proposed spending for next fiscal year.
County Supervisor Tom Broeker said the board based its budget for the county attorney on past spending, not the caseload.
A relatively new state website makes it possible to compare statistics for different court districts in Iowa. Those figures prompted questions about the figures Jackson’s office cited.
Jackson defended his record by saying local crime rates are high. He also said his office’s statistics on completed cases inadvertently included numbers of filed cases and traffic tickets.
The Des Moines County Attorney’s office has fewer convictions that the comparable counties of Muscatine or Clinton, but it still has a bigger budget.
According to state data, the Clinton County had 6,311 convictions in 2012; Muscatine had 5,777; while Des Moines County had just 3,999.
In the most recent budget year available, Des Moines County prosecutors spent $1.2 million; Clinton County spent $958,655; and Muscatine County spent $760,895.
Jackson plans to retire next January after 18 years as county attorney.
The Des Moines County Attorney’s office has 16 people on staff, including seven attorneys. Unlike his peers in Muscatine and Clinton counties, Jackson does not prosecute cases himself.
The Clinton County attorney’s office employs 12, including six attorneys. The Muscatine County office employs nine, including four full-time attorneys.
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Information from: The Hawk Eye, https://www.thehawkeye.com
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