District Attorney Staffing and Caseload Pressures
Allegheny County
Summary
President Judge Ovazhevic said DHS gives judges fewer than 1% of its pretrial diversion plans because the public defender objects, and the public defender walked away from the new competency court, leaving it unlaunched.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 2
- Last 30 days
- 2
Discussed at 2 meetings in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 29, 2026.
Impact analysis
Failed diversion keeps defendants in jail at taxpayer expense, with 13,636 defendants on probation and 291-day average case disposition.
Defendants and taxpayers benefit when diversion reduces jail populations.
Defendants sit in jail longer, and taxpayers pay for it, when diversion plans never reach judges.
Mentions & discussions (2)
Public Hearing — October 29, 2026
President Judge Ovazhevic said DHS gives judges fewer than 1% of its pretrial diversion plans because the public defender objects, and the public defender walked away from the new competency court, leaving it unlaunched.
Public Hearing — October 21, 2026
The District Attorney's office reported chronic understaffing, high caseloads, and staff retention challenges, arguing that the administration's proposed budget leaves them underfunded relative to their workload.
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