Wisconsin prosecutors, public defenders pay getting a boost
MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin district attorneys and public defenders said low pay was keeping applicants away and making it hard to retain lawyers. Now, Wisconsin's new budget boosts those salaries
"When you have holes to fill, that really results in some shortcomings. That’s not justice for anyone, certainly not good for our communities. It’s not good for our victims. It’s not even good for the accused," said Sue Opper, Waukesha County District Attorney.
After graduating years ago from the University of Wisconsin Law School, Dan Adams took at job as an assistant district attorney.
"I can remember getting the first paycheck and being like, ‘Oh, wow, they actually pay me to do this great job.’ But after time, you realize, ‘Hey, I have student loans to pay, I have my rent to pay, car payments.’ And after three years of law school, it’s really tough on that salary," Adams said.
Dan Adams
With the passage in the Wisconsin Legislature and a stroke the governor's pen, starting pay for assistant district attorneys and public defenders will go up $10 an hour. Starting salaries had been $56,659 a year. Now, it will start at roughly $75,000.
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"This was a long time coming," Opper said.
"Nobody goes into being a prosecutor or public defender for the money. You’re never going to get rich, but what we’ve been asking for so long, really for a generation is that you don’t have to take a vow of poverty," Adams said. "Our criminal justice system has really suffered as the experienced, knowledgeable attorneys have fled en masse."
Current assistant district attorneys will get a bump in salary, too – $8.76 more an hour.
"It’s a matter of public safety which I think everyone agrees is a priority," Opper said. "Everyone wants to have safe communities, everyone wants to have experienced, knowledgeable prosecutors. You don’t want people rushing through cases, or people who are asked to do more than their skill or experience may allow."
Sue Opper
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The pay for assistant prosecutors and public defenders will still be below what other Wisconsin lawyers make. The Wisconsin Policy Forum reported the median pay for them is $115,000 a year.