16-21-1102. Assistants and employees.

16-21-1102. Assistants and employees. (a) The Prosecuting Attorney of the Sixth Judicial District shall be entitled to the following assistants and employees: (1) To be paid by the county in which they serve: (A) A minimum of thirty-five (35) deputy prosecuting attorneys, whose salaries shall be as follows: (i) One (1) chief deputy at not less than seventy thousand three hundred fifty-five dollars ($70,355); (ii) Three (3) senior deputies at not less than forty-five thousand seven hundred one dollars ($45,701); (iii) A minimum of seven (7) division chiefs at not less than forty thousand one hundred dollars ($40,100); (iv) A minimum of eight (8) staff attorneys at not less than thirty-five thousand two hundred dollars ($35,200); (v) A minimum of fourteen (14) staff attorneys at not less than thirty thousand nine hundred dollars ($30,900); and (vi) Two (2) trial attorneys at not less than forty thousand one hundred dollars ($40,100); (B)(i) A minimum of eight (8) investigators as follows: (a) One (1) chief investigator at not less than twenty-two thousand four hundred one dollars ($22,401); and (b) Seven (7) investigators at not less than twenty thousand seven hundred dollars ($20,700). (ii) In addition to the investigators listed in subdivision (a)(1)(B)(i) of this section by salary, the prosecuting attorney shall have the authority to appoint other investigators as necessary for the administration of justice who shall serve without pay. (iii)(a) All investigators authorized and so appointed shall have the authority to issue process, serve warrants, and possess all law enforcement officer powers. (b) They shall be certified by the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training and shall be defined as public safety members under Arkansas law. (c) In the event that investigators shall issue process or serve warrants, the prosecutor's office shall be entitled to receive the same fee as provided in § 21-6-307, which shall be deposited into the hot check fees account; (C) A minimum of forty-three (43) support personnel whose salaries shall be as follows: (i) Two (2) lead case clerks at not less than sixteen thousand seven hundred dollars ($16,700); (ii) Twenty (20) case clerks at not less than fifteen thousand four hundred one dollars ($15,401); (iii) One (1) administrative coordinator at not less than thirty thousand nine hundred dollars ($30,900); (iv) One (1) budget administrator at not less than twenty-seven thousand one hundred dollars ($27,100); (v)(a) Two (2) executive secretaries who shall serve at the will of the prosecuting attorney. (b) The executive secretaries shall receive a salary of not less than seventeen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine dollars ($17,999); (vi) One (1) hot check administrator at not less than twenty-two thousand four hundred one dollars ($22,401); (vii) Three (3) hot check accounting clerks III at not less than seventeen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine dollars ($17,999); (viii) One (1) victim assistance program coordinator at not less than twenty-seven thousand one hundred dollars ($27,100); (ix) One (1) volunteer coordinator at not less than twenty-four thousand six hundred dollars ($24,600); (x) A minimum of seven (7) victim assistance case coordinators at not less than seventeen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine dollars ($17,999); (xi) One (1) systems analyst at not less than thirty-four thousand four hundred dollars ($34,400); (xii) Two (2) youth resource officers at not less than seventeen thousand nine hundred ninety-nine dollars ($17,999); and (xiii) One (1) precharging division supervisor at not less than twenty-three thousand six hundred fifty-three dollars ($23,653); (2)(A) One (1) part-time deputy prosecuting attorney whose duties shall be to represent the office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the Sixth Judicial District in all cases involving food stamp fraud and Aid to Families with Dependent Children fraud referred to the prosecuting attorney by the Department of Human Services and any other responsibilities that may be delegated to him by the prosecuting attorney. (B) The Prosecuting Attorney of the Sixth Judicial District shall contract with the Department of Human Services to determine the compensation of the deputy prosecuting attorney to be paid by the Department of Human Services. (C) The part-time deputy prosecuting attorney so appointed shall be permitted to engage in the private practice of law in the area of civil cases only. (D) At the discretion of the prosecuting attorney, this part-time deputy prosecuting attorney may be delegated other duties and made a full-time deputy prosecuting attorney and paid therefor from the existing appropriation for full-time deputy prosecuting attorneys; (3) Four (4) deputy prosecuting attorneys, to be paid by the Prosecutor Coordinator and not through quorum court appropriations, to handle criminal and civil commitments, including involuntary admissions and alcohol and narcotic commitments and insanity acquittees and other deputy prosecuting attorney duties as requested; (4) The prosecuting attorney may hire part-time, temporary, contract, or permanent paralegals, law clerks, or deputy prosecuting attorneys as authorized by the quorum court or provided for by law if deemed necessary for the proper administration of justice and for the efficient operation of the office of the Prosecuting Attorney of the Sixth Judicial District; (5) The prosecuting attorney shall have the power to appoint additional deputy prosecuting attorneys and other employees at such salaries as are authorized in grant awards from the Department of Finance and Administration, including, but not limited to, the federal Drug Law Enforcement Program Anti-Abuse Act of 1986, as amended, or its successor, or any other grant funds so awarded; and (6) In addition to the deputy prosecuting attorney positions created by this subchapter or any other Arkansas Code provisions, the Prosecuting Attorney of the Sixth Judicial District shall have the authority to contract at such salary or compensation amounts as may be available or appropriated by the quorum court for such legal services as are necessary, to include, but not be limited to, asset forfeiture actions. (b)(1) The prosecuting attorney shall have the power to appoint the assistants and employees authorized in subsection (a) of this section without confirmation of any court or tribunal. (2) Deputy prosecuting attorneys and other staff members so designated in this subchapter shall be considered law enforcement officers for all protective, emergency, investigative, and communication purposes, either individually or in coordination with interagency cooperative investigations and operations. (3) Deputy prosecuting attorneys duly appointed shall have such authority as conferred by the prosecuting attorney to perform any official acts so designated in all counties within the district. (4)(A) The Pulaski County Quorum Court shall annually appropriate funds sufficient to cover salaries, maintenance and operations expenditures, and capital outlay as required by the prosecuting attorney for the administration of justice. (B) All of the salaries shall be paid by Pulaski County. (C) When the Pulaski County Quorum Court raises salaries for Pulaski County employees, it shall also raise salaries an equivalent amount for the above employees. (D) Those employees covered by this subchapter shall be treated by Pulaski County in the same manner as other Pulaski County employees for all other purposes.