Yakima County increasing its focus on justice costs | Yakima Herald-Republic

Yakima County increasing its focus on justice costs, Yakima Herald-Republic, June 11, 2012.

A review panel—a federal magistrate judge, an attorney, and a businessperson—raised questions about the prosecutions:

While commissioners said they did not interpret the report as critical of departments, the panel did point to issues in the prosecutor's office, citing a rising number of trials while total felony filings have been declining. The report said Prosecutor Jim Hagarty should give his deputies more authority to settle cases.

The increasing number of jury trials is costing the county more money and a high acquittal rate suggests weaker cases are being taken to trial, the report said.