State's Attorney reports sharp rise in intakes and expands PFA support role

The McLean County State's Attorney reported a marked increase in intake volume and felony cases and requested a contract amendment during the committee meeting.

The committee approved an amendment to the contract for a special assistant State's Attorney to reflect a cost-of-living adjustment aligned with county employee increases. The State's Attorney said the amendment fits within existing budget parameters; Member Reeves moved and Member Ziebart seconded (as recorded in the transcript) and the motion passed by voice vote.

On caseloads, the State's Attorney said the office has opened more than 4,000 intakes this year, exceeding last year's totals, and noted an uptick in felony matters. She described operational strain on the Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA) support staff: one PFA support staff member became overloaded and the office added a backup position that had been budgeted previously; the hiring was described as budget neutral.

The State's Attorney suggested the PFA workload growth is a contributing factor to increased activity in the county jail, noting many individuals are detained for short periods for sanctions or violations and then released.

Committee members asked no further substantive questions on the caseload figures during the meeting. The committee accepted the report and approved the contract amendment; the State's Attorney said updated statistics and caseload reports were filed with the packet.