Waukesha County DA's office funding 'crisis,' prosecutors needed
The Brief
The Waukesha County DA said her office is facing a staffing "crisis."
Grant money to cover two prosecutors ran out in December, and additional funding to cover positions runs out in July.
She said it means her office will have to pick and choose who to take to court.
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Waukesha County District Attorney Lesli Boese, just three months into the job, is facing a "crisis" – not in the courtroom, but in staffing her own office.
The backstory
On July 1, grant money that covered two-and-a-half Waukesha County prosecutor positions will run out. Grant funding for two other positions ended in December. Boese said it will bring total staffing down to 16 prosecutors.
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"This is a crisis – I don't say that lightly," she said. "I simply don't know what we're going to do."
Boese said Waukesha County was understaffed to begin with. She pointed to a Department of Administration recommendation for counties to have one prosecutor per 10,000 citizens.
By that metric, Waukesha County would need 24 more prosecutors. Boese said she needs at least 10, and the current state budget will only allow her one part-time hire.
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"What do I tell to the people who voted for me when I said I want to hold criminals accountable – that's my number one priority – if the state, legislature, governor doesn't give me the resources to do that," said Boese.
Why you should care
Boese said it means her office will have to pick and choose which criminals to take to court.
"This directly impacts the safety of each and every county in Wisconsin," she said. "There will be the people who commit the retail thefts, and if it doesn't get charged, they become emboldened."
Big picture view
The positions are funded by the state. Just last week, during a hearing on the state budget, Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern spoke about the need for more hires in his office, too.
"Additional funding for (assistant district attorneys) will help us attract and retain the talent we need," he said.
A spokesperson for Gov. Tony Evers' office said his 2025-2027 biennial budget proposed hiring dozens of new prosecutors throughout the state. Republican State Rep. Scott Allen said he is in favor of making "speedy justice" a reality.
The Source
FOX6 News interviewed Boese and referenced prior coverage for information in this report.
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