LAWRENCE COUNTY - JANUARY 26, 2023 - Lawrence County Prosecutor Sam Arp II appeared before the Lawrence County Council Tuesday night updating them on last year's activity of the prosecutor's office.
Lawrence County Prosecutor Samuel Arp II talks about his office in 2022
Video: Samuel Arp II Lawrence County Prosecutor talks to the Lawrence County Council about his office in 2022
The Lawrence County Prosecutors office has a total of 1,583 criminal cases that are still active between the six criminal prosecutors that handle those cases. There are total of 11 attorney's that work all cases which include criminal, infractions, juvenile, child support, expungements, and post relief cases.
The criminal cases are shared between the following prosecutors:
Samuel Arp II - 484 - (355 felonies)
Ryne Koucouthakis - 337 - (322 felonies)
Jenifer Tucker Young - 240 cases - (228 felonies)
Robert Garrett - 213 - (179 felonies)
Justin Grant - 178 cases
Sarah Cummings - 131 cases
The prosecutor's office was assigned more than 4,000 criminal cases in 2019.
There was a decline in the number of cases filed last year, with the 1,200 filed in 2022, compared to more than 2,000 cases filed in 2019. This was a total of 43 percent reduction in crime and recidivism.
Arp, told the county council members that he expects to be asking for additional money this year due to two cases that may require expert witness testimony in both cases. One of those cases include a Mitchell man Shawn Hays after shooting his father earlier this year.
The trial expense budget in 2023 is at $6,000 which these trials could easily exceed that amount to around $10,000. One expert fee is estimated at $350 hour.
The Lawrence County Council has not been friendly with the prosecutor's requests for additional monies over the last two budget cycles. The Lawrence County Council denied the prosecutor's office for a new vehicle, and request for additional budget requests.
The prosecutor's office did not receive STOP Grant funding for Domestic Violence cases in 2023. The two largest crimes that are committed in the county are drug related offenses and domestic violence cases.
Prosecutor Arp told council members that Sheriff's Day's arrest has already started increasing and that is expected to continue throughout the year.
The prosecutor's office, public defenders, Superior Court Judges and Sheriff Day continue to monitor jail counts and make sure criminal defendants are processed through the jail in a timely manner.
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