The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office has added 23 prosecutors to its staff, citing a significant reduction in the county’s felony case backlog. Yesterday, the office reported that the felony backlog has decreased to 3,735 cases from 6,300, representing a 59% reduction. Most of the new prosecutors will join the Family Violence Division, while others will be assigned to charging teams, court dockets, and trial units.
DA Says New Hires Will Target Family Violence
District Attorney Joe Gonzales described the new hires as both a support for staff and a measure to enhance public safety. In a press release, he stated that the additional attorneys are expected to accelerate charging decisions and help move cases through the court system more efficiently.
According to News 4 San Antonio, Gonzales described the new hires as "a turning point for our team" and said they are intended to bolster the office’s efforts on family violence and other priority areas.
Overtime Program That Helped Chip Away
Gonzales has highlighted the "High Risk Intake" overtime program, approved in November 2023, as a key component of the backlog reduction effort. The program allowed the office to use funds from unfilled positions to pay prosecutors for reviewing high-risk felony cases during evenings and weekends, as per San Antonio Report.
Volunteers on the intake team reviewed thousands of older cases and helped advance indictments, with numerous assistant district attorneys working extra hours to move older violent and repeat offender cases forward, according to local reporting. The San Antonio Report noted that the overtime program was funded using salaries from vacant positions.
Numbers, Measurement And Staffing Headwinds
The reported numbers are somewhat complex, as totals have fluctuated in part due to a change in how the DA’s office counts pending cases. The office now tracks cases from the date they are received from police rather than the date of the offense, making direct comparisons over time more difficult.
The Bexar County has reported on the change in counting methods as well as other operational challenges. A transcript from a Bexar County commissioners’ budget work session notes concerns about more than 30 attorney vacancies, which county leaders say are slowing progress.
The commissioners’ transcript also indicates officials urging Gonzales’ office to implement long-term solutions for staffing and case management, suggesting that the recent hiring increase is only one part of a broader plan.
What Comes Next
Despite the reported reduction in the backlog, the DA’s office has not yet secured additional funding for 2026. Without measures such as pay increases or other structural changes, maintaining the recent progress could be challenging.
County leaders have identified salaries, technology upgrades, and long-term retention as key priorities for the next budget cycle, and will monitor whether the recent hiring of new prosecutors leads to lasting improvements. As noted by San Antonio Report, the DA’s office described the hires as a turning point, while noting that significant work remains.
