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How the Loss of a Legal Secretary Affects a Prosecutor's Office

By Lynne DeVenny

Times are tough everywhere, but the Alleghan County Prosecuting Attorney?s office in Michigan is really feeling the blow after county commissioners voted to lay off a full-time legal secretary and cut the $39,500 salary for this position from the annual budget.

Allegan County Prosecutor Fred Anderson expressed extreme disappointment Wednesday, Oct. 13, in the commissioners' decision.

He had previously described how--without the secretary--his office would no longer be able to send out letters to individuals who had written insufficient checks to businesses of the misdemeanor variety. He said most people who receive the letter from the prosecutor's office pay the balance due and no legal action is required.

"The mom and pop stores really rely on us," Anderson said, adding that, without the service, businesses would be burdened with taking up the matter in civil proceedings.

But no one could be more disappointed than the legal secretary facing the loss of her job. According to the 2009 staff directory for the prosecutor?s office, there are only three clerical positions, legal secretary, secretary and victim rights coordinator, supporting eight attorneys.

I suspect that insufficient check notifications won?t be the only service to fall by the wayside with a ratio of eight attorneys to one secretary.

Source: Allegan County News

Full post as published by Practical Paralegalism on October 17, 2010 (boomark / email).