Court approves five new staff members for DA office

The Hays County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to approve the hiring of five staff members who are expected to start work by May 1.

The court met in regular session Tuesday to consider the agenda request by Hays County District Attorney Kelly Higgins who was asking for the staff increments for his office.

Based on the court’s vote, coming on board this spring will be two new staff attorneys, a legal assistant, a victim assistant coordinator and a paralegal.

Hays County Assistant District Attorney Gregg Cox told the commissioners that this hiring was a necessity based on the amount of work facing the current staff. He said that the two new attorneys and the legal assistant will assist in clearing up a backlog of casework which far exceeds the standard for the office of 1,200 unfiled cases.

Cox said the office currently has 5,600 cases in backlog–some going back to Fall 2021. Cox said that a backlog this large creates potential harm for those needing assistance, including plaintiffs and defendants, and contributes to jail overcrowding, as cases are not able to be brought to trial in a timely fashion.

Cox said that in the past, the priority has been given to defendants who are in jail and not those that are out on bond.

Hays County Commissioners Court Judge Ruben Becerra said, “Whether people are guilty or innocent, we need to give them their time in court.”

Cox said that he and Higgins have reduced the number of unfiled cases from in excess of 4,000 to approximately 2,000. Cox said that as of Feb. 1, the office has implemented a system in which all new cases are assigned to a prosecutor within five days of arrival, thereby preventing the creation of additional unfiled cases. Still, this is not addressing a better reduction of the unfiled cases. Cox said the two new attorneys and the legal assistant would help clear the unfiled cases. Higgins said that with the approval of this staffing request, they would likely be able to work through the backlog within 6 months.

Cox said the office in its current configuration is not adequately staffed to handle certain cases, particularly those involving domestic violence. He said the risk exists in these cases that if they are not brought into the system in a timely way, those who suffered abuse often return into that same domestic environment. In this way, the new victim assistance coordinator will be of great benefit to county citizens. Cox said there has been an increase in the amount of protective orders issued this year.

Higgins said that in the past, it has been county practice to add additional terms to an alleged abuser’s bond in lieu of issuing a protective order. However, a protective order is preferable because it can be seen immediately by an officer in the field, leading to swift action to protect the individual claiming abuse, he said.

The addition of a new paralegal would help assist in the paperwork involved with these orders, he said.