Watch CBS News

Florida Attorney General Wants To Hire More Attorneys

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

TALLAHASSEE (AP) — Citing a growing number of cases, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi says she needs to hire more attorneys.

Bondi this week submitted her 2016 budget request to the Florida Legislature. It included a request to spend nearly $650,000 to hire six more senior attorneys in her criminal and capital appeals division.

Under law, Bondi's office is responsible for handling appeals of any criminal cases prosecuted across the state. The Department of Legal Affairs also represents the state in death penalty cases.

Her budget request states that this past fiscal year, her office handled nearly 23,000 new appeals. This was an 8 percent increase over the previous year. Bondi's office states that currently her attorneys are handling more than 100 cases a year.

The Department of Legal Affairs has nearly 1,400 positions.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.