District Attorney Office Salary

Currently, the salary of a district attorney is set statutorily, and any amount in excess is set by the board or boards of county commissioners comprising the district. Furthermore, the district attorney of each judicial district, with the approval of the board or boards of county commissioners comprising the district, sets the salaries of any assistant district attorney or chief deputy district attorney in the district.

The bill establishes minimum salary requirements for a district attorney, an assistant district attorney, and one chief deputy district attorney in every judicial district, if one has been appointed by the district attorney. Those salaries will be based upon the salaries of a district court judge, a county court judge, and a district court magistrate, respectively.

The county or counties comprising the judicial district currently pay the salaries of assistant district attorneys and chief deputy district attorneys in the district.

Starting in the 2020-21 fiscal year, the bill requires the state to pay the following percentage of salaries:

• Assistant district attorney - 80%; and
• Chief deputy district attorney - 50%.

The bill allows the board or boards of county commissioners of the county or counties comprising the judicial district, in consultation with the district attorney, to make a one-time irrevocable election to require an assistant district attorney to become a member of the public employees' retirement association's defined benefit plan. In that case, the state would pay 80% and the counties would pay 20% of the employer contribution for an assistant district attorney.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)