Swanson: Some Days Feel Like A Three-Ringed Circus

MAYVILLE-“There are days where I feel like I a run a three-ringed circus even with the competency of my staff.”

Chautauqua County District Attorney Patrick Swanson recently told WNYNewsNow’s Ryan Hedrick some days feel extremely hectic due to having just nine people on his staff. 

“One of my main goals during the next four years is to get to a point where the staff can have the numbers needed to keep things moving, especially when you’re handling thousands of felonies a year,” Swanson said.

Swanson said homicide case preparation can be difficult, particularly with the five that occurred in 2016.

“The time committment required to prepare for homicide cases is extensive,” the DA said. “Often times, homicide cases require multiple attorneys for preparation.”

“We are very active and very busy here, especially with the Keith Robbins trial approaching in June.”

Robbins is accused of murdering his estranged wife, 36-year-old Shari Robbins, Nov. 10th, 2016.

Swanson said he hopes to hire another attorney or two to help with cases regarding the drug epidemic and domestic violence issue as the county struggles with heavy crime.