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State Cuts Could Hurt Pike Co. Justice SystemFrom the CBS 8 Troy Newsroom-- Budget cuts are effecting workers across the state, and they could face more cuts in the 2013 fiscal year. Pike County's District Attorney's office says if the state slashes its budget, it could mean delays in criminal cases.
Pike County District Attorney Tom Anderson says since he's taken office in 2011, he's faced three rounds of proration, and says if he faces another round in the next fiscal year, things could get scary. Anderson says because of last year's budget woes, his department tightened its belt, letting five employees go including a full-time investigator and prosecutor. "We made those cuts hoping we could weather this storm, and here we are looking at an additional 10.6 percent looming," he says. "If that is realized, it's going to be devastating to DAs statewide." Anderson says if he's faced with more cuts, justice could be slow. "If it's in the neighborhood of 10.6 again this year or 25 percent next year, there's no way to provide the level of service we provide," he says. But that's not his only problem, Anderson says the state's forensics department is dealing with proration, and it's causing a six month delay in some cases. Anderson says put it this way, the longer it takes to get evidence back, the longer it takes to convict a dangerous person. "You submit DNA evidence, and until you get that evidence back and can get it to a grand jury, that individual is walking the streets," he says. And that's a thought that has many area residents feeling unsafe, "because they need to be behind bars, because of people's safety," says Mary Singleton. Anderson says next year's budget that the house has passed looks like it won't hurt his department too bad, but that could easily change. "It will be presented to a Senate committee, and then they may make changes. They almost often always do," he says. Anderson says if it is a high profile case, typically the forensics team in Montgomery will work overtime to turn that evidence, but he says if they face more cuts that may change. Anderson says if he's faced with more budget woes, it could mean folks without bond will be waiting longer in jail until trial. He says that will also hurt the County Commission's budget.
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