Crime & Courts

Gov. Walker amends budget to maintain Dillingham district attorney

Gov. Bill Walker's amended operating budget for the coming fiscal year proposes reinserting funds to keep the Dillingham district attorney's office open.

"After further consideration, maintaining the current level of service in the Dillingham office is recommended for (fiscal year 2017)," the amended budget says.

Restoring $340,000 would maintain one attorney and one support staff position, according to the budget. Two employees currently run the office. Adding those previously deleted funds will prevent further erosion of the Department of Law's ability to prosecute crime statewide, it says.

Walker proposed the closure along with cutting six Department of Law positions to cover a $29.8 million unallocated reduction in the state's budget.

Alaska Attorney General Craig Richards said maintaining the office depends on how the Legislature funds the department.

"The thinking was that the governor's heard from a lot of people, and we looked at it again, and (Walker) saw it was a priority to maintain the office," Richards said.

"Hopefully we can get the funding for it," he added.

Alaska Dispatch News reporter Nathaniel Herz contributed to this report.

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

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