PROMISES MADE - PROMISES KEPT:
PROTECTING THE CHILDREN AND VICTIMS OF ABUSE:

Since 2004, the County Attorney’s Office has doubled the amount of protective orders we have obtained for victims of family violence. Jana Duty has hired expert attorneys and staff to represent Child Protective Services to ensure the best representation for the most vulnerable citizens; the children.

Prosecuting juvenile crime (felonies and misdemeanors) is an extremely important part of the County Attorney’s Office. Jana has recruited and hired mature, experienced, knowledgeable attorneys who have the experience to know the difference between kids who have made a mistake and will learn from it, and those who will continue to return to the criminal justice system. When dealing with minors, Jana Duty understands that it is vitally important for the punishment to fit the crime.

Over a million tax dollars have been saved since 2005 by handling civil litigation and county contracts in the county attorney’s office rather than outsourcing them. Since taking over civil litigation and county contracts, the County Attorney’s Office has handled roughly 40 civil lawsuits, 30-35 DRB’s (disciplinary review board hearings) for the Sheriff, and over a 1,000 county contracts.

Additionally, the new Direct File System has already saved Williamson County tax payers over $1,000,000.00 (one million) in less than a year since it has been implemented.

Jana Duty’s Office will collect almost 5,000,000.00 (5 million) dollars in restitution and fees for the merchants of Williamson County by the end of this year (2008). This is a 40% increase in collections since 2004. Area merchants are extremely pleased with improved turn around time for collecting the money owed to them and they are pleased with the much improved rate of collection.

Since taking office, Jana Duty has worked closely with the Purchasing Department and the Auditor’s Office to implement several checks and balances to ensure that all county business is conducted in the open and in a fair and equitable manner.

The attorneys representing you in the County Attorney’s Office who prosecute crime in Williamson County are some of the best and brightest in Texas. On Jana’s staff you will find lawyers who are valedictorians from their high schools, honor graduates from Rice, UT, Baylor, A&M and law graduates of Harvard, Baylor, Texas Tech, St. Mary’s and UT Law Schools. The Williamson County Attorney’s Office is a model for other offices around the state.

During Jana Duty’s term, she has worked with the Commissioners Court and Sheriff James Wilson to add two new positions in the Magistrate’s Office; the PR Bond Administrator and the Indigent Defense Coordinator. These two new positions (which are paid for by fees charged to the defendants who utilize the services) were needed to ensure that those defendants who qualify for PR Bonds and/or for appointed attorneys, receive them in a fair and timely fashion.

These are just some of the many changes that have been implemented in Jana’s short tenure as the County Attorney. When re-elected, she will continue the good work she has accomplished so far.