Three people on the payroll for PR for the DA? That money should be used for additional prosecutors. ("D.A. hires broadcasting boss" - Salt Lake Tribune 12/8/09)

THE FACTS:

Under Lohra Miller’s administration, the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s office has only had one person dedicated to responding to public and press inquiries. At no time has the position been filled with three individuals simultaneously. The original press contact, Nate Bryan, came to the office soon after his graduation from Utah State University. His original job assignments included press contacts, community relations, police relations and grant writing.

With the downturn in the economy, DA Miller sought alternative funding sources, such as federal grants, in order to supplement the deep budget cuts being requested by the county. In order to successfully obtain and maintain these grants, she assigned Mr. Bryan to devote full time to grant writing and appointed Alicia Cook as the main press contact. This allowed Mr. Brian to secure over $1,200,000 in grants for Salt Lake County, thus reducing the financial burden on county taxpayers.

Ms. Cook, a veteran prosecutor, took over the PR responsibilities in January 2009; however, she maintained an active case load for much of that time. Her deep understanding of the law and criminal justice process made her an invaluable resource to the press for their numerous questions regarding many of the 15,000 criminal cases filed annually by the DA’s office. However, after more than a year in this position, DA Miller decided that Ms. Cook’s skills as a prosecutor were more crucial as the lead prosecutor for the newly created Elder Abuse Team and reassigned Ms. Cook to this position.

At that time, DA Miller decided to use her vacant executive assistant position allocation to appoint a professional public relations director. Mark Biljanic, formerly a managing editor with KUTV Channel 2 in Salt Lake City, Utah, accepted this position in December 2009. His understanding of journalism and the criminal justice system placed him in a unique position to serve the community as a liaison between the two.

Lohra Miller believes that the public has a right to information regarding events in their neighborhoods and in order to facilitate that information in a timely manner, the media needs access to the office. As stated by the National District Attorney’s Association, "Community attitudes about crime and safety and the public's awareness of prosecution and the outcomes are important gauges to reducing a community’s fear of crime." (Prosecution in the 21st Century, American Prosecution Research Institute and N.D.A.A. Feb. 2004.) A society that appears lawless, where citizens have little trust of the criminal justice system, breeds a lawless community where criminals act without fear. Conversely, a community that appears law abiding and citizens believe that justice will prevail breeds safe neighborhoods.

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