Codington County Establishes New Pretrial Case Manager Position to Combat Soaring Court-Appointed Attorney Costs

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - In a strategic effort to arrest an expanding line item in the public defense budget, the Codington County Board of Commissioners authorized the immediate creation of a new, full-time Pretrial Case Manager position within the Community Service Office. The position, classified at competitive pay grade 40, is designed to perform routine, non-legal coordination duties that are currently billed to the county treasury at premium attorney hourly rates.

According to comprehensive judicial expenditure registries, the county’s court-appointed attorney budget has been under unprecedented strain. For the 2026 fiscal cycle, the county proactively allocated $890,000 for public defense costs. Still, year-to-date tracking sheets demonstrate that the fund has already depleted $358,179.31, leaving a remaining balance of $531,820.69 heading into the summer months.

Community Service Director Sara Foust explained that criminal defense attorneys spend a substantial percentage of their billable hours performing logistical “case management” tasks. These include answering repetitive client inquiries regarding court schedules, coordinating mandatory medical and psychological evaluations, and checking in on basic bond compliance. By routing these clerical obligations through an in-house county case manager, private attorneys can focus exclusively on legal defense, dropping billable hours significantly.

Fiscal Projections & Cost-Benefit Analysis

The total annual compensation framework for the Pretrial Case Manager—including base salary and full county benefits—is estimated at approximately $90,000. Under the approved Grade 40 scale, hourly wages will start at $29.88 (Step A) and top out at $39.19 (Step L). Board metrics demonstrate that if the position reduces overall court-appointed defense billings by just 25% to 30%, it will fully pay for itself while generating net savings for taxpayers.

Commissioner Myron Johnson raised operational questions about potential duplication of duties between the new role and existing community service frameworks. Foust clarified that while standard Community Health Workers handle broad welfare assistance, such as job applications and housing logistics, the Pretrial Case Manager will operate at the intersection of social work and the criminal justice system, focusing directly on legal compliance and bond conditions.

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State’s Attorney Alison Bakken strongly endorsed the initiative, referencing successful empirical models utilized by Minnehaha County. Bakken noted that proactive pretrial monitoring consistently drops failure-to-appear rates, prevents the filing of secondary felony charges for missed court dates, and reduces overall case processing times.

The board subsequently passed a motion by Commissioner Lee Gabel to approve the job description, followed by an immediate authorization to advertise and fill the position. Both measures passed unanimously.