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State Attorney Eddins: Prosecutors Leaving Due To Low Pay
December 7, 2012
Representatives of state attorneys and public defenders began making a renewed case Thursday for increasing salaries, saying low pay causes many attorneys to leave for private law firms after only a few years.
Bill Eddins, state attorney for the 1st Judicial Circuit of Florida (which includes Escambia and Santa Rosa counties) and president of the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association, told a Senate panel that high turnover is reducing the number of experienced prosecutors.
“There are cases in Florida we are losing because of inexperience,” Eddins told the Senate Criminal and Civil Justice Appropriations Subcommittee.
Eddins and Hillsborough County Public Defender Julianne Holt said new attorneys make about $40,000, while also often having hefty law-school debts. Holt said attorneys typically are making about $50,000 when they start handling felony cases, compared to the $75,000 to $90,000 they can receive in the private sector if they have three years of experience and trials on their resumes.
The comments came as the subcommittee heard initial budget requests from agencies involved in the criminal-justice system.
NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Comments
18 Responses to “State Attorney Eddins: Prosecutors Leaving Due To Low Pay”
I see the points on both sides of the argument. However, and I was told this by an attorney, most of the public defenders/prosecutors are in those jobs because they are trying to build their resumes so that they can be picked up by a private firm with future earning potential for themselves.
If we can’t at least be somewhat competitive, none of them will stay for long, and experience does play a big part in whether cases are won or lost.
Frankly, it’s easier to “make a deal” and show a “win” on your resume than it is to take it to court and risk losing due to inexperience!
Pay them what they’re worth – or stop complaining about the criminals walking the streets with a slap on the wrist.
FRANK….I would bet that nobody twisted your arm and made you follow your chosen path through college. If you had to take loans in the amount of $120,000, that was your choice. Personally, I think the Deputies should make more than they do. If you want to make more, then prove you are worth it! After the way a case that involved a family member (victim) was handled by the SA, I have serious doubt about the entire office! Want more money, work for it, just like the rest of us do.
REGARDING:
“FYI, the legal secretaries make $23,000/year and very rarely get raises. That’s below poverty level. ”
It IS below the poverty level for a family of four (by fifty dollars per year) — barely below it but it IS below it. For less than four people, it is well above the poverty level. For example, a single-person household is considered poor if his or her income is $11,170 or less, so that’s twice the poverty level unless the legal secretary has children and no working spouse.
AND
“come out of 8 years of college and owe $120, 000 that is what bites!”
That was a personal decision. The cost of a given college can vary and is usually much less than a quarter that for a four year degree, so there could be other factors in play. Especially if the debt is so high and the job prospects so low for a given field of study.
David for apples and oranges
and non basket weaving diplomas
(Frank) — Guess what I DID have a student loan when I started my career. And I made 30k back then. Now I make 38k 15 yrs later have a family. We haven’t had a raise in over 6yrs while secretaries have gotten. 5k -7k along with other civilian employees receiving anywhere from 5%-12% raises. A lot of deputies live pay check to pay check. We work 5-6 sometimes 7 days a week anywhere from 10-18hrss, just to make ends meet. That’s why we have such a high turnover rate at the sheriff office. And the true problem is the County Comm. as they could car less about anyone.
Deputy, YOU do not have a $1500.00 a Month student loan payment as do these public servents either…
come out of 8 years of college and owe $120, 000 that is what bites!
No sympathy for the prosecutors. Most of them prosecute. Bee Ess cases that are have no business being prosecuted at all. If the average citizen in this town knew the pettiness and holier than thou attitude taken by the so called law in this town , we would have a rebellion. They already start out at over 2 times what the average worker in Escambia makes with full benefits and retirement.
Go cry to someone who cares.
Working for the state is like working for the county, most of the people that are there and stay there, stay because they believe they can make a difference or serve the citizens of that area. Most of the advertisements for jobs are what I call bait and switch, it advertises a job that starts out at 10 dollars and it says that quarterly and anually can go to 16 dollars, that is a lie. Once people are hired in and find out there are no raises ,no overtime and they are cutting benefits they soon leave. Like they say you get what you pay for. The longer you work the more you make is a joke, there is no more longivity, no merit raises or colas anymore. Its quite sa., RB, I have no idea who you are talking about making $40,000 digging ditches, I know someone who has served 24 years in escambia county and he doesnt break $38,000 and he is one of those who dug ditches and is in management now, get your numbers straight. I love people who try to tell us how much money we make and then they find out what we really make,they often tell us “I would’nt work for that” well thank goodness some of us do.
The Troopers make $35 K a year and there is no raise system. You make what you get hired at with no chance of a raise. New employee retention is not very high.
Oh no! I hope Gene Taxentino doesn’t read NorthEscambia. We’ll have a 14 cent gas tax added onto the 4 cent one just passed.
Try being a deputy between 10-15yrs only makes 38k …so cry me river about making 50k there are worse tragedies ….
In response to William Livingston:
Raising taxes is not the only answer (nor is it the best answer). How about we (the county) spend current revenue more wisely. That’s the only solution I’d support.
@JS:
Those are also the starting saleries, if we are to be fair. The longer you work, the more you make…Although, Alabama does have the lowest average of starting salaries in the paralegal field… this area especially.
This would mean Raising TAXES , Republicans which this area has repeatedly voted for , refuse to raise taxes. Start saying YES to Raising taxes , its the only way to change this. Nothing in life is Free. Grow up and Pay up.
” high turnover is reducing the number of experienced prosecutors”
lack of experience and competency….is this the reason the State Attorney reduces so many charges and makes plea deals. The result… felons are back on the streets with a slap on the hand.
…again the message for the citizens…like everything else in life, you get what you pay for…you want better personal/property protection? better enforcement of laws? not letting criminals walk free? well…lets not try to simplify things and say “a job is a job”…
FYI, the legal secretaries make $23,000/year and very rarely get raises. That’s below poverty level. They often work more than 40 hours a week, support multiple attorneys and their case loads – usually 250 open cases each – and still have to dress for court. The pay is absolutely ridiculous and insulting. Don’t forget about them when pay raises are being “fought” for.
Dang, you can start out digging ditches at just under $40,000.00. If the representatives had chose this job line they would have already had 4-6 years of experience and be a foreman by now.
I was recently on a jury. The total incompetance of the prosecutor and a liberal jury (except me) let a child molester walk free for the third time. If a pay raise will get us better prosecutors, I’m for it.