R. Paul Frasier began the New Year with a new job — Coos County district attorney.

Frasier was tapped for the position by Gov. Ted Kulongoski in early October to take over the post from outgoing DA Paul Burgett. Frasier was sworn in on Monday.

Burgett announced his retirement last summer, following a number of budget cuts at the DA’s office and the loss of $6.8 million to the county’s general fund stemming from the reduction of federal timber dollars.

Frasier, who served as chief deputy district attorney for seven years, said he’s well aware of the financial problems in the DA’s office. Currently, six attorneys are doing the job once handled by eight attorneys, he said. Last March, a legal secretary and a five-year veteran of the office were laid off.

“We’re going to have to figure out how we’re going to adjust,” he said.

Another challenge he mentioned was how the budget woes also affected the Coos County jail. Amid the cuts, the number of inmates that could be held at the facility fell from about 160 to 99 a day. The lack of space at the jail caused the DA’s office to adjust sentencing requirements, he said.

“We have to ask, who do we want to be in jail?” Frasier said.

He pointed to incidents in which a driver convicted for the first-time of driving while under the influence of intoxicants is released instead of serving the required two days in jail.

Frasier said he’s also worried about the cuts to the county’s juvenile program. The budget ax lowered the number of available probation officers in the program and there are not enough councilors to work with troubled youth, he said. The lack of support might lead some of the kids who could otherwise be helped be more likely to commit crimes as adults, placing a greater burden on the DA’s office, he added.  

Coos County Commissioner John Griffith said Frasier has been working for the DA’s office long enough to be an effective district attorney. Frasier has worked in the office for the past 18 years. Frasier previously worked as special prosecutor at the South Coast Interagency Narcotics Team and deputy district attorney in Josephine County.

“He’s widely skilled from office work right up to prosecution,” Griffith said. “He’s very experienced with the area.”

Frasier was blunt when it came to discussing the possibility of more budget cuts in the future.

“I don’t want to go there,” he said.