Changes made in positions at district attorney’s office
There hasn’t been a lot of personnel changes, but there have been a lot of streamlining in the work of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s office, according to DA Jack Browning.
Browning said his office has the same number of employees, but some duties have been changed to create more efficiency.
Ronnie Smith, who had handled both investigations duties and human resources, now works on juvenile court cases with his human resources duties.
Rick Poor, hired by Browning the first day of office, handles investigative work.
Browning said the result is fewer cases are dismissed.
“A placed call would reveal we couldn’t find a witness or the victim. That was unacceptable to me,” Browning said.
The investigator’s main duty is to track down those involved in a case so the case can be brought to court, he said.
Poor has been cessful, according Browning.
“Now we don’t have many cases that are dismissed because we can’t find people in the case,” he said.
Browning also applied money from the Victim’s suc
to Witness Fund to hire two part-time receptionists for the Polk and Haralson Counties offices. The money can be used for anything that helps the office carry out its mandated duties under statutes, he said.
Besides that, Browning said having a human for victims and witnesses to speak to about ongoing cases is important.
“I couldn’t think of a better use for that money than when people come by the office or cal, they talk to a human being instead of a machine,” he said.
Browning said going as paperless as possible has greatly reduced cost and helped get cases to court.
Browning said employees must send a lot of casework out to others when a case is being worked. They once made copies at the copier to send out. He felt that wasted too much time and money.
Browning took money seized in drug cases and bought a scanner for every employee’s desk. Now, paperwork is scanned into the system once and can be sent electronically whenever someone needs it, he said.
“Paper cost is a fraction of what it used to be,” he said. “One little thing like that can help so much.”
He said Assistant District Attorney Andrew Garland did leave the office for private practice, but has returned.
Browning said a position opened up in Haralson County and Garland decided to accept it.
“He decided he liked prosecuting better,” Browning said. “We’re very happy to have him back.”