2011 Budget Book - WHOLE - Kitsap County Government

DISTRICT COURT
Partnerships/
Collaboration:
Alternatives:
Efficiencies/
Innovations:
Mandates and Contractual
Agreements:
Regional or Local?
Description of
Requirements:
Minimum Service Level:
Program Justification:
The quality measurement:
The avoidance of
dismissals of cases due
to violations of speedy
trial rules
Workload Indicators:
Cases Filed
Cost Recovery
Cost Avoidance
Kitsap County Corrections, Kitsap County Prosecutors Office, Kitsap County Office of Public
Defense and Kitsap County Information Services
Felony preliminary appearances were previously heard in Superior Court.
The District Court has taken on this work without additional funding or staff. The actual
savings of time and money would be reflected in the Superior court, Clerks Office, Prosecutor
and jail operations. The benefit to District Court is the procurement of the technology
required to move the court to a paperless environment.
No mandate exists. This program, proposed by Russ Hauge, is the result of a decade long
endeavor to improve court processes, reduce jail costs, and to more efficiently use
prosecutor's resources.
Felonies represent 22% of the workload and are regional. Other criminal offenses represent
78% and are local.
Prosecutorial discretion.
Defendants must be brought to court the day following arrest or as soon as is practical to
determine if probable cause exists for the court to believe a crime has been committed and to
set conditions of release and/or bail pending case resolution.
Shifting felony first appearances to District Court has proven to be cost and resource effective
for the jail, Prosecutor and Superior Court.
2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
0 0 0 0 0 0
5,400 6,123 5,666 6,053 6,398 6,205
There is no cost recovery in District Court
Cost avoidance includes a reduction of jail staff assigned to this calendar. The Prosecutor's
office is able to reduce in-court time. The Clerk's Office has fewer "touches" of files and the
Superior Court has the opportunity to hear more civil cases in a timelier manner.
Funding Consequences
The court continues to do less with less in order to accomplish this additional work. However,
the court clerks did fail to notify the Sheriff’s Office of the rescission of a No Contact Order
which lead to the false arrest and incarceration of an individual in 2010. False arrest,
suspension of driving privileges and violation of speedy trial rules are all unintended yet
certain consequences of an improperly funded court.
Budget Totals
2011
Proposed 2010 Budget 2009 Actual 2008 Actual 2007 Actual
2006
Actual
Revenues $313,996 $326,080 $335,168 $381,620 $381,707 $613,080
Expenditures $1,582,090 $1,572,423 $1,469,669 $1,514,403 $1,512,117 $1,401,183
Difference ($1,268,094) ($1,246,343) ($1,134,501) ($1,132,783) ($1,130,410) ($788,103)
# of FTE 11.0 11.0 11.0 n/a n/a n/a