Prosecuting Attorney

Wesley Bell, Prosecuting Attorney

$14,833,051 FULL TIME EQUIVALENTS

ADOPTED FY23 BUDGET

142.6

Office Mission

The Prosecuting Attorney represents the citizens of St. Louis County by fairly and effectively prosecuting cases of alleged violations, by promoting public safety, and by advocating and protecting the rights of victims. The Prosecuting Attorney’s mission is to focus on violent crimes and drug addiction while finding alternatives to incarceration for non‐violent offenses. It is also to assist those encountering the justice system with maintaining employment and keeping families together.

Budget Overview

The 2023 adopted budget for the Prosecuting Attorney is $14,833,051, an increase of $564,924 or 4.0 percent from the 2022 adjusted budget of $14,268,127. Personnel costs comprise 89.6 percent of the budget for 144 positions (142.6 full time equivalents). Operating expenses account for the 10.4 percent of the budget.

Significant Changes

The County Council reduced the department’s budget by $1,207,481 (7.5%) compared to the County Executive’s recommendation to remove the value of 75% of vacant positions and eliminate funding for vehicle replacements.

Core Business Functions

The Prosecuting Attorney is responsible for the management of:

→ Warrant application process (to include review and charges)

→ Criminal Case Management from inception to closure

→ Traffic Case Management from inception to closure

→ Alternative Court Management (Drug Court, DWI Court, Mental Health Court, Veteran’s Court)

→ Diversion Program Management

→ Victim Services Management

→ Child Support Services

→ Taxes and Bad Check Collection

→ Community Engagement

→ Grand Jury hearings and administration

→ Conviction Incident Review Unit

Program Descriptions

Deferred Prosecution/Diversion

The Deferred Prosecution/Diversion division seeks to address low level non‐violent offenders suffering from drug addiction and issues relating to mental health. Rather than focus solely on conviction and incarceration, which lead to unemployment and tear families and communities apart, this division seeks to provide treatment and employment to individuals in need, primarily with little or no additional cost to taxpayers. If individuals in the program successfully complete the supervised program, they will not have a criminal conviction on their record.

Criminal Division

The Criminal Division prosecutes criminal traffic, misdemeanor, and felony cases. The felony cases enter the division through the warrant office and proceed through the Associate Circuit Trial Staff or the Grand Jury to the Circuit Trial Staff for prosecution. Attorneys, investigators, and support personnel staff the criminal division. This division is particularly focused on addressing violent crime and drug addiction.

Community Engagement

The Community Engagement Division is managed by a former police officer from the St Louis County region. Until this placement, the residents of St. Louis County did not have a sufficient understanding of the office nor were they able to interact with the office in an open and productive manner. The Community Engagement Director has immersed himself in our community, reaching out to many different neighborhoods and participating with community events to bring awareness about this office’s role in the community.

Civil Division

The Civil Division collects child support, delinquent taxes, and bad checks. The division also files and handles asset forfeiture suits.

Victim Services Division

The Victim Services Division provides services to victims, including emotional support and crisis intervention, referrals to agencies, and informs victims about court hearings, orders of protection, victim impact statements and victim crime compensation. Advocates accompany victims to hearings and offer the use of victim accommodations in the courthouse.

Conviction Incident Review Unit

The Conviction and Incident Review Unit is an independent office within the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which investigates claims of innocence to determine whether there is compelling evidence that the convicted defendant was not the person who committed the offense of conviction, and to use available measures to right those wrongs. The unit also deals with cases alleging excessive force by law enforcement, public corruption, and official misconduct.

Strategic Priorities And Performance Metrics

 Successfully prosecute criminal cases investigated in St. Louis County (HS – Reform Criminal Justice)

 Advance and protect rights of victims, treating them with the dignity, respect, and compassion they deserve (O –Ensure Services are Efficient and Responsible)

 Engage with the community openly and transparently (O – Ensure Services are Efficient and Responsible)

 Effectively address violent crime, drug addiction and mental health (HS – Reform Criminal Justice)

 Sufficiently staff the office and warrant office (O – Improve Effectiveness)

 Advance and protect the rights of children by collecting child support through the civil contempt system (HS –Reform Criminal Justice)

 Promote the public welfare with respect to non‐violent offenses by focusing on individuals maintaining employment, mental health, drug addiction and alternatives to incarceration (HS – Reform Criminal Justice)

 Modernize and staff the office to effectively address our priorities (O – Improve Effectiveness)

 Address cases involving those wrongly prosecuted, police and official misconduct and public corruption (HS –Reform Policing)

Organizational Chart

* The Conviction Incident Review Unit is its own independent unit and operates under and reports solely to the Prosecuting Attorney.