Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks is taking some undue judicial heat just for speaking up for the taxpayers.
Both Superior Court judges have criticized Banks for questioning a plan to appreciably increase the budget for the contracted public defender’s office, from $380,000 annually to more than $560,000.
The judges pointed out Banks’ apparent conflict of interest, in that he will be prosecuting the indigent defendants represented by the public defender. In theory, he could be trying to limit the weapons of his courtroom opponents by cutting funding.
The possible conflict is obvious. But Banks can more positively be seen as an elected representative of the people just doing his duty in guarding the public pursestrings.
The county had a painful budget year during which the commissioners cut jobs in the Sheriff’s Office and Prosecutor’s Office, as well as many other places. Budget workshops begin soon for next year and increasing the public defender’s budget by nearly 50 percent isn’t going to play well. When the Deputy’s Guild sees so much being spent on the people they arrested, they’ll certainly be demanding more for their side.
It’s not hard to guess whose side the public will be on.
The curious fact that the commissioners are even considering such a hefty increase in the public defender’s budget can be traced back to the Legislature. Controlled by Democrats, it handed over to attorneys the job of determining the ideal case loads for public defenders. Not surprisingly, it looks like the counties are underspending.
The commissioners held a hearing on the matter Monday but tabled the money issue. Nevertheless, they’ll have to render a decision before adopting a budget later this year.
Banks did the public a service in discussing this issue in public. As a result, the commissioners will feel the appropriate amount of public involvement in the deliberative process.
It comes down to this in the public’s eye: In tough times, why cut cops and prosecutors while spending lots more to help defendants? Thanks to Banks, the issue is clear. The judges shouldn’t blame him for that.
