Columbiana officials seek more funds to handle cases

The defense lawyer said the number of cases has
skyrocketed in recent years.

By D.A. WILKINSON

VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU

LISBON — The Columbiana County Drug Task Force and the county prosecutor’s office want more money to help arrest and prosecute criminals.

And, the nonprofit Criminal Defense Corp. is seeking more money to defend those charged with crimes.

Atty. FredericNaragon, the president of the CDC, told the county commissioners Wednesday the defense caseload has almost doubled in recent years.

The commissioners are having budget hearings to determine department appropriations for 2008.

The CDC defends people who cannot afford a lawyer. The CDC is the county’s less-expensive version to a public defender’s office or court-appointed counsel. CDC lawyers don’t get benefits.

The office received $310,000 in 2002, and has received $367,195 in each of the past three years.

During that time, the number of annual cases has gone from 510 to the 1,000 cases that are pending now, Naragon said. The number of cases rose between 10 percent and 15 percent from last year.

Naragon said he wants to add another lawyer to the CDC and give small raises. “I need $75,000 to do this,” he said.

Naragon said the CDC handles everything from felony cases to juvenile matters.

Naragon warned the commissioners that if the CDC doesn’t get more money, judges may have to appoint lawyers at a higher expense.

“It’s not a question of will we or won’t we? It’s just a question of how we do it,” Naragon said.

The CDC has nine lawyers. Naragon said the work is divided so each attorney has about the same caseload.

Naragon agreed with prosecutor Robert Herron’s estimate that about 80 percent of all criminal cases in the county are somehow tied to drug abuse.

wilkinson@vindy.com