PROSECUTOR CUTS DIVERSION PROGRAM FOR YOUNG DRIVERS
The Platte County Commission’s recent budget decision regarding salaries for county employees will impact prosecutions of young drivers.
So says Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd, who penned a letter to every attorney in the Platte County Bar Association outlining a change.
The change is needed, Zahnd says, so he can “shore up staff salaries” for assistant prosecutors in his office, who he says are already paid less than their colleagues in private practice.
Zahnd says a redirection of funds in his office’s budget to assist salaries will force him to terminate a diversion program for young drivers. Under that program, the prosecutor’s office has been dismissing traffic tickets for drivers under age 21 if they admit wrongdoing and agree to other specific conditions, which he outlines in his letter to the attorneys.
Earlier this month, county commissioners Scott Fricker, Joe Vanover and Allyson Berberich voted to approve a budget with 2.5 percent pay increases for county employees. This is less than the five percent pay increase that was recommended by the county auditor, Kevin Robinson, in a balanced budget proposal put forth by the auditor.
That decision has been met with sharp criticism from Zahnd and from Platte County Sheriff Erik Holland.
At a commission meeting last week, the sheriff said it is clear to him the salary decision made by the commissioners “is a matter of won’t, not can’t.”
The sheriff says his department needed at least the five percent salary increase salaries so Platte County deputies “can stay competitive with other agencies in our area.”
Fricker responded by saying the commission “had to move millions of dollars from reserve funds to operations to cover expenditures.”
Fricker said “we have been funding the sheriff’s office and prosecutor’s office for every single dollar they’ve asked for the past three years since I’ve been here.”
He described it as “unsustainable.” Fricker said over the past three years budgets for the prosecutor and sheriff have risen 27-29 percent annually. He said officeholders “need to tighten their belts.”
Following is the letter the prosecutor sent to members of the Platte County Bar Association on Friday, Jan. 23.
“Colleagues of the Platte County Bar,
For the past several years, the Platte County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has dismissed traffic tickets for drivers under age 21 if they admitted their wrongdoing, performed community service, remained crime- and drug-free, worked or continued their education, and completed an online driver education course.
This opportunity was provided by Platte CARES, which is our office’s diversion program for first-time, nonviolent traffic, misdemeanor, and felony offenses.
Unfortunately, the Platte County Commission stripped $600,000 from the balanced budget the county budget officer submitted in accordance with Missouri law. The vast majority of the budget cuts slashed planned cost of living increases for Sheriff’s Deputies and Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys.
Due to the Commission’s actions, effective immediately, I have been forced to make the difficult decision to remove traffic offenses committed by drivers under age 21 from Platte CARES.
I regret this change, but I feel obligated to make it, so I can shore up staff salaries for assistant prosecuting attorneys, who are already paid far less than their colleagues in private practice.
If you have any questions about this unfortunate outcome, feel free to contact me.
If you believe the Sheriff’s and my office’s budgets should be restored so the Sheriff and I can continue to keep Platte County safe and my office can continue to provide timely, professional responses to the criminal defense bar’s needs, you may contact:
Presiding Commissioner Scott Fricker
Scott.Fricker@co.platte.mo.us or (816) 533-5808
Commissioner Joe Vanover
Joe.Vanover@co.platte.mo.us or (816) 858-3333
Commissioner Allyson Berberich
Allyson.Berberich@co.platte.mo.us or (816) 858-3330
.
