A day after pleading publicly for more prosecutors, the first-year Republican district attorney snatched enough funding Tuesday from the GOP-led County Council to hire four more attorneys - a staffing level she says will keep her office from sinking beneath a rising criminal caseload.

But while Miller is pleased with the new prosecutors, she warned that it does little more than keep her office afloat. "It is a bare minimum to allow us to maintain the status quo."

Miller told the council her office still won't escape the heavy caseload that exceeds both the national average and the American Bar Association's standard. Her office reports 215 adult felony cases per prosecutor compared with 92 nationally and 150 recommended by the bar association.

The district attorney wanted an extra $3 million in 2008 to lighten that load. She hoped to hire 40 new employees, including nine additional prosecutors and more than a dozen new secretaries and paralegals.

But the council refused to go that far. Instead, Miller had to settle for a $1.3 million boost that will pay for 16 new hires, including four felony attorneys, five secretaries and two paralegals. She also will get new court-services employees, a domestic-violence warrant coordinator and enough money for staff cell phones and laptops.

"I would like to fund these now," said Republican Councilman Jeff Allen, "so we have the security of our citizens at hand."

The measure passed 5-3 along partisan lines, with the Democratic minority favoring a budget with less money and more spending discretion. Both sides advocated more prosecutors - a budget bump Democratic Mayor Peter Corroon did not recommend after Miller's office gained six additional lawyers this past summer.

What rankled some county leaders was Miller's last-minute rally Monday for more resources. Flanked by more than a dozen law-enforcement officials, the district attorney warned that the criminal-justice system would "suffer" if the council didn't pump more prosecutors into her office. She accused Corroon of not understanding the "danger" of leaving her office "grievously understaffed."

Democratic Councilwoman Jenny Wilson accused Miller of grandstanding.

"Do you feel we are not listening?" she asked. "Or did you just want to take the mayor to the woodshed?"

The council reaffirmed its desire to develop a sweeping criminal-justice master plan to cut crime. Until that happens, Democratic Councilman Joe Hatch said, the county must proceed "incrementally, cautiously and consistently."

jstettler@sltrib.com

The pitch for prosecution

Salt Lake County's district attorney has advocated aggressively for more prosecutors. But the 2008 budget process took her for a ride. Take a look:

D.A.'s Mayor's Council's

request proposal disposition

Budget bump $3 million $833,000 $1.3 million

New hires 40 8 16

Additional

prosecutors 9 0 4