SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) Fueled by the growing Meth epidemic, this was an unfortunate record week at the Minnehaha County State's Attorney's Office.
"This week alone, my office opened up 103 new felony files, which is a new record for one week," reports State's Attorney Aaron McGowan.
He says that nearly 60 of the cases are drug felonies, and many others drug-related.
"We've seen a drastic increase. We are currently 727 cases ahead of where we were at the same time last year."
McGowan's prosecutors are now handling some 600 cases each, making for a very busy office. The drug epidemic is not just stretching his staff. It's having a ripple effect on the taxpayers in many ways.
"Once there's an arrest, the taxpayers are burdened with paying, not only for the prosecution, but in the majority of the cases, the defense counsel for indigent defense and we have the cost of the jail and a jail that is already full," and then with so many parents caught up in the system, McGowan says there's also the cost of taking care of their children.
