SOUTH PARIS – Cases at Oxford County Superior Court have surged 55 percent in the past six years, and the office needs a second full-time advocate to help victims, according to Assistant District Attorney Joseph O’Connor.
Still, the Oxford County commissioners decided Tuesday to recommend only hiring a part-time advocate for $11,492.
O’Connor said Friday he was disappointed by their decision, saying it might be hard to find someone experienced enough for the job who will settle for part-time work.
Advocates help victims of crime navigate through the legal labyrinth, supporting them so they do not feel as if they are victimized doubly – first by a criminal and then by the criminal system, he said.
One of the factors driving the increase in cases at the Superior Court and the county’s three district courts is a larger police force, O’Connor said. Last year, the sheriff’s department hired three new deputies.
“When you have more police officers, then you have more arrests,” O’Connor said. “Things that in the past police were too busy to deal with, to follow up and investigate successfully, they can get to now, and they end up with someone being charged. And when crimes are solved, they come to us.”
Town police departments are also reporting a steady increase in criminal complaints and arrests, according to a letter District Attorney Norm Croteau wrote to the commissioners.
During last week’s commission meeting, Commissioner David Duguay said he made his recommendation after looking at Aroostook County’s court system, which has six courts with one full-time advocate and two part-timers.
For four courts in Oxford County, he figured one full-time and one part-time advocate was adequate. But he said he would reconsider the decision if he saw more evidence about the advocate’s caseload.
The commissioners managed to trim the proposed budget by about $42,000, and increase revenue by $45,000.
The commissioners’ budget recommendations will be reviewed by the county Budget Committee, which will then pass it back to the commissioners for approval.
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