10th Judicial District Attorneys Office down 40% of staff, intern program brings some relief

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO)--Since 2020, the 10th Judicial District Attorney's office has been struggling with a shortage of prosecuting attorneys.

The shortage has been making it difficult to process cases in a timely manner, according to the 10th Judicial District Attorney's office.

Jeff Chostner, the 10th Judicial District Attorney, said he's down 10 prosecuting attorneys which is 40 percent of the staff. The average caseload for an attorney is 180 cases a month. But with the shortage, it has increased that number for some attorneys.

Due to this issue, the 10th District Attorney's office has brought in five new law school interns to help assist prosecutors.

All interns are two-year law school students, which means they qualify under the Colorado Student Practices Act. The 10th Judicial District Attorney is actively putting these interns into county courts to assist with cases under the supervision of other licensed attorneys.

"So these folks come in and really help keep that caseload for our full-time attorneys here at a more manageable level," said Chostner.

Chostner hopes that this program attracts more people to come be prosectors in Pueblo.

While this program helps, it does not solve the problem. The 10th Judicial District Attorney is still seeking to hire more prosecutors.

To learn how to apply or to learn more about the internship program, click here.