JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Stutsman County State’s Attorney Fritz Fremgen informed the Stutsman County Commission Thursday evening of his plans to cut back his hours in 2019.

In his latest report, Fremgen reports that he worked an excess of 796 extra hours in 2018 for the county. He told the commission he would continue working to the best of his abilities, but needed to cut his work hours from 56 hours a week to around 45 hours a week. Fremgen says that’s roughly a 21% cut in hours for the year.

County Commissioner Dave Scwartz pointed out in Fremgen’s report that there had previously been complaints from the Jamestown Police Department and Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office on the amount of time it took to prosecute cases. Jamestown Police Chief Scott Edinger stated that they have continued to see more calls for service, increasing the amount of cases that needed prosecution.

Chief Edinger says a lot of the cases presented are solvable and prosecutable, but they’re not getting prosecuted. He says they hear a lot from the public when cases aren’t prosecuted and they refer back to prosecutorial discretion. Stutsman County Sheriff Chad Kaiser echoed Chief Edinger’s thoughts.

Commissioner Schwartz stated that he understood Fremgen’s job was very stressful and busy, but that Fremgen knew that before he had run for the position.

Fremgen stated it didn’t matter how hard he worked, there would always be dissatisfaction. He said the department’s need to send complaints about prosecution to him and his office.

Fremgen says in the last 20 years, no one has run against him for the position and he will continue to do his job, but with less hours in 2019.