District attorney asks for immediate pretrial staff after SB 9/SB 1120; court allows use of forfeiture funds

Chambers County's district attorney told commissioners that recent state laws—referred to in the meeting as SB 9 and SB 1120—have imposed new, time‑sensitive duties on the office, including one‑day bail‑review tools and expanded victims' rights, and requested immediate authority to use forfeiture funds to hire contract staff to meet the workload.

Speaking to the court, the DA said the office is receiving a high volume of cross‑county reports that must be reviewed quickly and that the office lacks the staff capacity for the rapid turnarounds required by the statute. The DA described the requested hire as a fast‑paced, para‑legal/pretrial role that would prepare motions and work with attorneys and requested that the court allow use of available forfeiture funds to bring on a contract person immediately and to plan for one or more full‑time positions in the next budget cycle, including a victim assistance position.

Commissioners discussed budget implications and acknowledged the urgency. The court approved the DA's immediate request to use forfeiture funds to hire a contract pretrial person and asked the DA to return with salary ranges and workload statistics for permanent budget consideration. The DA indicated a likely starting annual salary range (ballpark) around $60,000 for the permanent pretrial position and said the victim advocate salary will be presented later.

The court's action authorizes immediate use of forfeiture funds for a contract hire; final budget approvals for full‑time positions will follow the county budget process.