County prosecutors are doing the same job but often have different resources. (Getty Images)
In one weekend, a homeowner’s sense of security is shattered by a burglary. A child finds the courage to come forward about sexual abuse. A family loses a loved one in a drunk-driving crash. These heartbreaking events are a reality in communities across Indiana, and every day, county prosecutors shoulder the immense responsibility of holding offenders accountable while supporting victims through their darkest moments.
Yet how this vital work gets done depends entirely on where you live. While every prosecutor’s office shares the same mandate to deliver justice and protect their communities, the resources available to fulfill that mission vary drastically from county to county.
A day in the life of a prosecutor is relentless and unpredictable. It can start with assessing police reports and probable cause affidavits to decide whether to file charges, meeting with detectives to review evidence, and determining if further investigation is needed. Hours are spent preparing for trials, whether reviewing pre-trial assessments and calling victims for hearings, evaluating evidence and plea offers for pre-trial conferences, or prepping witnesses and arguments for evidentiary motions. If a trial looms, prosecutors must develop the case, organize witnesses, craft jury instructions, and prepare every phase of the trial, from opening and closing statements to cross-examinations of defense witnesses. Outside the courtroom, prosecutors attend multidisciplinary team meetings, train law enforcement, respond to homicide or drunk-driving fatality scenes, observe forensic interviews at child advocacy centers, and even attend autopsies.
The work is emotionally and mentally demanding, often bleeding into personal time, but prosecutors are at the heart of justice in our communities. They don’t have the option to ignore cases, to neglect victims, or to skip witness preparation. The work must be done, but the resources in which to do that are not the same in every community.
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Take, for instance, a few examples. Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood has the support of a fully staffed office, allowing them to focus on the courtroom while a dedicated victim advocate handles outreach and communication. Floyd County Prosecutor Chris Lane, however, works in an office that’s only 35% staffed (when using accepted caseload standards), meaning his attorneys often spend the day in court before returning to their offices to call victims and prepare witnesses late into the evening. Fulton county is only 38% staffed. And using the same metrics, my own office is only 39% staffed. All prosecutors are equally committed to their communities, but some operate with more tools and support, while others work with one arm metaphorically tied behind our backs.
These disparities are unsustainable, and they endanger our communities. Burnout among prosecutors and their staff is not a hypothetical — it’s inevitable under these conditions. When dedicated professionals leave the field, the cracks in the system widen, leaving fewer people to manage increasingly overwhelming workloads.
What does an ideal system look like? It’s one where every prosecutor’s office has the resources to do the job effectively. Every prosecutor deserves the support to prepare their cases, advocate for victims, and protect their communities without sacrificing their health and families in the process. In the real world, however, we see counties struggling to fund even a fraction of the positions they need. We see deputy prosecutors and victim advocates stretched to their limits and positions unfilled.
Their work is hard, their commitment unwavering — but the system must meet them halfway. It’s time to invest in our prosecutor’s offices to ensure every Hoosier, in every county, has equal access to justice.
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