Lookout Mountain circuit DA: Office is down eight employees, four attorneys
At every Catoosa County Board of Commissioners meeting, a time is set aside for local residents to speak their minds. Each speaker is allowed five minutes.
It’s rare that one of the speakers is an elected official, but at the Aug. 2 meeting, District Attorney Chris Arnt took the floor not so much to speak to the commissioners but to the public about why the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit he oversees needs more money in its budget.
LMJC covers four counties: Catoosa, Walker, Dade and Chattooga. Whichever county has the greatest population is the one that is typically the fiscal agent for the circuit — the one that approves the budget and manages other fiscal matters That recently changed from Walker to Catoosa County.
That change is one among many things that has resulted in more costs for LMJC.
Arnt began by explaining that his staff is down by eight people, including by four attorneys. He should have 34 people working. Part of the problem, he says, is that qualified people can find better pay other places.
Unavoidable benefits increases, Arnt said, have cost $164,000, including employees switching to Catoosa County benefits programs, which offer more than Walker County did.
Commissioner Vanita Hullander asked Arnt for more information about the effect of a shortage of personnel: How does that cost the system more money? She mentioned cases being delayed and the extra cost of housing inmates at $85 a day.
Arnt said that more important cases, like murder, rape or child molestation, had to come before probation revocation, which accounts for the majority of inmates waiting for a court date.
Inmates in jail on probation revocation, said Arnt, have already been convicted of a felony crime and have violated the terms of their sentence.
“Our judges are not woke or progressive circuits. Our judges generally make you stay in jail until you have a hearing so they can see what they’re going to do with you.”
Earlier, Arnt had said that LMJC has a reputation for being tough on crime. “We take crime and punishment very seriously.”
Arnt said LMJC manages around 5,000 cases a year — or 312-313 per attorney when the circuit is fully staffed. “That number,” he said, “is well above what’s recommended for public defenders. (Our attorneys) have been working well above that number for the last two years.”
With approval of the budget increases he’s asking for, Arnt said he has three attorneys and two other personnel lined up to hire and begin training.