Mar. 11, 2026 8:30p
(WGTD)---The Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office continues to struggle with staffing challenges.
The number of assistant district attorneys has hovered around a dozen for months, even though the authorized strength is about 22.
By comparison, Racine County District Attorney Patricia Hanson said earlier this year her office is fully staffed.
Shortly after Xavier Solis took office as Kenosha County D-A in early January of 2025, eight of the office’s 19 prosecutors left after having endorsed Solis’ opponent in the Nov. 2024 elections.
A total of 22 departures occurred in 2025 and during the first six weeks of this year, according to records obtained last week from the state Department of Administration. The state covers the costs of circuit court prosecutors while counties pick up the tab for support staff.
Solis himself hired 15 replacements, but 9 of those have since left, including one attorney who was fired, according to state records.
A redacted termination letter dated Jan. 22 of this year does not include a reason for the firing.
But six weeks later the attorney was rehired, the DOA confirmed Wednesday. The prosecutor was back on court calendars this week.
In an email to WGTD earlier this year, Deputy Chief Judge Chad Kerkman expressed frustration. He said the judges are continuing to experience more scheduling challenges and continuances than in the past which he said affect how efficiently cases move through the system.
In an email this week, Solis declined to answer questions about whether he’s taken any steps to improve the retention rate or attract new prosecutors, asking instead whether WGTD had published news releases that his office had sent on unrelated topics.
In an appearance before the Kenosha County Board’s Judiciary and Law Enforcement Committee in early October, Solis had predicted that the attorney shortage would ease later that month. He also said his office was getting the job done.
At the time of the election Solis had plenty of experience as a private attorney under his belt but no experience as a prosecutor.
Solis made state headlines last month when a brief he prepared using artificial intelligence included false and irrelevant information. The judge threw it out.
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