County attorney seeking more help in office

Jackson County Attorney Bethany Lee is seeking funding for an additional attorney for her office in 2027 to help manage the office’s growing caseload.

At a recent Jackson County Commission meeting, Lee reported that she needs a third full-time attorney in her office to keep up with the number of case filings in the county. 

The office is currently staffed with two full-time attorneys, Lee and Amy Medeiros, and three interns. The interns work between 15 and 20 hours a week.   

“One reason is because of our caseload, and another is because the district court has now started scheduling hearings with multiple judges at the same time,” Lee said. “We don’t have enough people to staff both courtrooms at the same time.”

Lee said that the interns can cover misdemeanor cases, but sometimes they need assistance from her or Medeiros.

“We’ve been making do, but long-term, I think another attorney is a better solution for the county,” Lee said. “We’ve run into a few scheduling issues where we just don’t have the staff to cover what needs to be covered. I want qualified people in the courtroom at all times.”

For her office’s 2027 budget, she is requesting funding for a third full-time attorney. 

Lee said one of the current interns is interested in working for the county full-time when she graduates in May 2027 and takes the bar exam in July. 

If that works out, Lee would only need to budget for five full months of salary and benefits for a new attorney in 2027. 

There are four counties in the Second Judicial District. Wabaunsee County has one attorney who handled 112 criminal cases and 654 traffic cases last year, Lee said.

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