City Attorney’s Office to Add a Prosecutor

In January, the city attorney’s office will add a deputy prosecutor to assist in handling the department’s workload, now 13,000 cases a year.

City Atty. Jack L. White said the additional attorney will increase the number of Anaheim prosecuting attorneys to nine.

Since the 1950s, Anaheim has been the only city in Orange County that prosecutes state code misdemeanors, White said. All other cities use the county district attorney’s office.

White said Anaheim’s annual caseload makes up about half of the cases that go through Municipal Court in Fullerton. City prosecutors handle a variety of cases, he said, including drunk driving, prostitution, assaults, spousal abuse and robbery.

The City Council approved hiring another criminal prosecutor and specified that part of the person’s $64,000-a-year salary will be paid with a $23,000 state grant.

White said the primary reason that the city hires its own prosecuting attorneys is to give greater attention to the cases than the district attorney’s office would be able to provide.

“We’re able to get optimal results by having our own staff, and the Police Department can relate and work directly with prosecutors on a day-to-day basis,” White said.

“We also think that the manner in which we prosecute cases is more aggressive, and we end up getting the best possible sentences and make it tough on criminals in Anaheim in general.”