Prosecutors to Get Pay Parity With Other County Lawyers

Capping a three-year crusade by Dist. Atty. Gil Garcetti, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to give county prosecutors salary parity with the county’s civil lawyers, who traditionally have earned far more money.

The disparity has been a constant source of friction between criminal prosecutors and lawyers in the county counsel’s office.

Prosecutors say that they work far longer hours and deal with life-and-death issues and should be paid at least the same as civil lawyers, who often work more regular hours.

All of the county’s 1,025 deputy district attorneys will receive annual raises of 2.2% to 2.5%, retroactive to Jan. 1, with about 200 higher-level managers getting a second raise next January averaging $7,000 to $9,000 a year.

The overall cost of the raises is about $4 million.

Garcetti said he will pay for them with asset forfeiture funds that he has set aside specifically for that purpose. To do so, Garcetti needed permission of the supervisors.

Supervisor Gloria Molina praised Garcetti for pressing the issue in many personal appearances before the board, and called the board action “an important step for public safety.”