NEW CASTLE Board rejects request to apply for grant for D.A. investigator

Commissioners aren't sure they have enough money to pay for the position.
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County commissioners rejected a request by the district attorney to apply for a grant to hire another investigator.
The $75,000 grant distributed over three years through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency would pay for another investigator in the district attorney's office.
That person would be responsible for training local police on domestic violence and helping the assistant district attorney handling domestic violence cases, said Matthew Mangino, district attorney.
Often victims will refuse to testify in domestic violence cases because they fear their attacker, Mangino said. This extra investigator could provide more evidence to prosecute the attacker without the victim's testimony, he said.
The position would also require the investigator to train local police officers how to investigate these crimes.
But county commissioners say they aren't sure they can come up with the matching $75,000 to get the grant.
Facing deficit
"I don't want to see a person get beat up and not have the person responsible prosecuted, but we are facing a $2 million deficit for the jail next year," said Commissioner Ed Fosnaught.
Commissioner Brian Burick suggested the district attorney apply for the grant, but realize he may have to turn it down if they determine there isn't enough money in the budget to pay the matching portions.
Commissioner Roger DeCarbo rejected the idea, saying he would not vote to submit the grant application unless he knew the county could match it.