DETROIT (WXYZ) — If you’re the victim of a crime, where it happens shouldn’t determine how long you wait for justice. But in Wayne County, alleged victims of sex crimes have been waiting longer than anyone should have to for justice.
As of last month, nearly 300 warrants for sex crimes had stacked up in the prosecutor’s office, lingering for at least six months while a prosecutor decides whether to bring charges.
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One woman, who says she sexually assaulted inside of a bar in Dearborn, has been waiting for well more than a year. She spoke with 7 Action News, but asked that her name not be revealed.
“You’ve waited all this time to maybe not get the form of justice that you thought would happen,” she said.
This problem isn’t nearly as bad in Macomb County, where only 11 warrants have been sitting for six months. In neighboring Oakland County, the number is four.
Until recently, Wayne County had four warrants alone that were pending for 3 years.
“No one would say that is acceptable,” says Alisha Bell, the chairwoman of the Wayne County Commission. “The prosecutor would not say that it’s acceptable. We at the commission absolutely know that that is not acceptable.”
The county commission, along with the county executive, controls the county’s purse strings. Right now, the county is in negotiations with its prosecutors.
“We’re trying to get more prosecutors and make it more attractive to be here in Wayne County,” Bell said. “We have to retain the lawyers that we have and then get new talent.”
Today, the county is 30 prosecutors short and, unlike Oakland and Macomb, lawyers there have the heaviest workload and the lowest pay.
The starting salary for an assistant prosecutor in Wayne County is $60,000. It’s $70,000 in Oakland and $71,000 for prosecutors in Macomb.
“I cannot point to another set of dedicated people, other than what we have in Wayne County, trying to make sure and get through these cases,” said prosecutor Kym Worthy.
“Our caseloads are heaving and we’re doing the best we can with what we have.”
Advocates for sexual abuse victims acknowledge Worthy’s commitment to their cause, but say the wait being experienced by victims today needs to be addressed.
“Kym Worthy has shown herself over the years to be a very vocal advocate on behalf of survivors of sexual assault,” said Johanna Kononen, director of law and policy for the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence.
“But that doesn’t change the reality for the victims who are currently going through the system.”
Another woman, who says she was the victim of rape, saw the warrant in her case sit in the prosecutor’s office for five months before it was approved in May. She spoke with 7 Action news, also asking that her name not be used.
“I feel so terrible going through this process,” she said. “I have been made to feel like an idiot, that I’m an inconvenience.”
Even after the warrant in her case was authorized, she said she has felt alone as she seeks justice. Earlier this year, she made sure to attend the defendant’s arraignment, which occurred on Zoom.
“And I logged in, and no prosecutor was there,” she said. “I had no one to represent me. The detective was there... and the detective had to argue bond because my prosecutor was not there.”
In an e-mail, the Wayne County prosecutor’s office said that it is common for assistant prosecutors to not be able to attend arraignments due to staffing challenges. The officer in charge of the case is present and is familiar with the details of the alleged crime, said spokeswoman Maria Miller.
7 Action News shared victims’ concerns with prosecutor Kym Worthy.
“They feel like they are lost in the numbers here,” said Channel 7’s Ross Jones. “They call regularly and ask for an update on the case, and they’re told it’s still pending. It’s still pending. Months and months go by. What do you say to them?”
“Depends on the reason,” Worthy said. “I don’t think we can just put everything in one bucket. There are a lot of reasons why a case takes a lot of time.”
Since 7 Action News began asking questions about the backlog in March, the prosecutor reports there has been progress at bringing down the backlog.
20 backlogged warrants have been cleared, Worthy says, thanks to a newly created position.
“We have now a person that is there, that is her full-time job,” Worthy said. “To look at these backlog warrants. And that’s how we’ve been able to get the number down, exponentially since she got the job.”
Victims will welcome any progress, but advocates like Johanna Kononen say much more is needed, and quickly.
“This is about our entire community and keeping Wayne County safe,” she said. “Residents and victims deserve better than this.
Negotiations with the Wayne County prosecutor’s union are ongoing, and everything from starting salary to signing or retention bonuses to healthcare benefits is on the table.
Sources say that the county is prepared to raise the starting salary of a new prosecutor from $60,000 to at least $70,000.
Contact 7 Investigator Ross Jones at ross.jones@wxyz.com or (248) 827-9466.