The Utah State Courts reports a 13 percent jump in criminal filings since July 2007, springing to a six-year high with 13,225 new cases.

It's bittersweet vindication for Miller, whose push for more prosecutors and claim of a crime spurt were criticized last year because court data at the time showed a dip in cases.

But now, those numbers are up - from homicides to rapes to robberies to aggravated assaults - in Utah's most populous county.

"It is a disturbing trend for our community," Miller said Wednesday.

But it's a trend the Republican D.A. likely will tap this fall to lobby for more money and personnel. She added 10 prosecutors last year.

Salt Lake County Democratic Mayor Peter Corroon isn't ready to open the county's pocketbook - yet.

"The criminal-justice system is very complex and has many pieces in it to solve crime and reduce recidivism," Corroon said. "We need to take all those branches into account."

By itself, the surge in criminal filings says little about the D.A.'s office or the need for more resources, according to Daniel Medwed, a criminal-law professor at the University of Utah.

It could reflect a rise in crime or a lower case-screening standard, he said. It also could signal a D.A. trying to distinguish herself politically by filing more cases.

"Are filings up because there is more crime? If so, we need more resources," said Medwed, pointing out that prosecutors' offices are understaffed nationwide. "Or are they up because Lohra Miller feels political pressure and needs the numbers to justify her position? If so, we should be more cautious."

But the latest bump in criminal filings seems to stem from increasing violence. The county's most heinous crimes - murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery - surged 10.8 percent in 2007, the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification reports. And overall crime grew almost 3 percent.

Meanwhile, Miller, in her second year as D.A., is prosecuting the same percentage of crimes. Her office pursues about 80 percent of cases (consistent with the prosecution rate the past three years).

The higher-crime pattern plays out at Salt Lake County's jail as well, according to an e-mail circulated this week by jail chief Rollin Cook. Because of overcrowding issues, the jail was forced to release 14 inmates early.

Unlike last year, when the county squeezed out class B and C misdemeanor offenders because of limited cell space, the Sheriff's Office freed some inmates last week with more serious class A misdemeanor crimes.

"These early releases should concern us all a great deal," Cook wrote, "since they affect the entire criminal-justice system and all of our community."

Although funding is tight, GOP County Councilman Mark Crockett said the rise in wrongdoing deserves attention.

"When it comes to public safety," he said, "we'll have whatever conversations are needed regardless of the economy."

The councilman continues to champion a master plan to examine the county's crime-fighting needs. The county is expected to pick a consultant for the study this fall.

As for Miller, she seems to have made her case but isn't smiling about the swelling crime.

"Unfortunately," she said, "I was right."

jstettler@sltrib.com