Jefferson County Commission
DA Raises Prosecutors’ Salaries to Retain Staff

District Attorney Danny Carr told the Jefferson County Commission on Tuesday that he is adjusting the salaries of his deputy district attorneys to help hold onto his veteran crew of prosecutors.
“It’s hard to keep a good lawyer who sees what we see every day, who takes home what we take home every day and does what we have to do under the most strenuous circumstances, in all honesty, making $50,000-something a year,” Carr said. “That’s difficult. But I can tell you there are a lot of families, myself included whose brother was killed, who appreciate the ability of a seasoned prosecutor to stand up in a court of law before a judge and make sure that justice is done … holding these violent individuals accountable.”
The district attorney said he’s been able to make budget adjustments that net an additional $15 per hour for his 42 deputy district attorneys. Commissioner Mike Bolin, a former circuit court judge and state Supreme Court justice, called the district attorney’s office an extension of law enforcement.
“They catch the bad guys and you put them away,” Bolin said. “You’ve got a good crew and I think they’re deserving of an addition to keep them.”
Carr said that while his office hasn’t experienced a lot of turnover, some prosecutors have left for better pay recently.
“We train them up, they try cases, they’re doing the good work (and) these (law) firms are taking them,” he said. “I thank God that the DAs in that office understand that this is a calling, that you won’t get rich being a district attorney.
“But what you will get is gratitude,” Carr continued. “You get to wear the white hat. You get the ability to do what’s right for people who can’t speak for themselves, who don’t know who to turn to.”

Lashunda Scales said competitive wages are a key to retaining a strong crew of prosecutors in the district attorney’s office.
“The point of the matter is that we don’t have competitive wages,” she said. “If we want to hold the Sheriff’s Department to a standard, if we want to hold your (Carr’s) office to a standard, we need to invest in both of those departments to make sure that they’re working effectively.”
Joe Knight, chairman of the commission’s finance committee, said the salary adjustment for deputy district attorneys will have to be considered in an upcoming budget for fiscal 2025.
“We’ve got to keep our folks,” Knight said. “I’m already nervous about the budget but I’m always nervous. The revenues are flattening. That’s a sign of the economy nationwide.”
The DA’s budget will be weighed with other departments this summer.