U.S. ATTORNEY SATELLITE OFFICE HERE HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT

The federal judicial system is intended to touch every nook and cranny of this nation. As a practical matter, however, justice is most readily dispensed where there are authorities in place to readily dispense it. For that reason, the establishment of a Cape Girardeau satellite office for the St. Louis-based U.S. attorney was welcomed to this part of Missouri. In its first 25 months of existence, the office has made a positive impact on law enforcement here.

The satellite office in Cape Girardeau -- engendered by former U.S. Attorney Stephen Higgins at the urging of law enforcement agencies of this region -- has found business good since its opening in November 1991. In just over two years, more than 240 criminal cases have been filed or transferred to the Cape Girardeau office, a rate of nearly 10 a month or nearly a case every two business days. While the public perception is that of cases being left to linger forever in the court system, the office has resolved almost half the cases it has opened. Last fall, it was noted that the number of federal cases filed in the region was a 500 percent increase over the period when cases had to be administered through the St. Louis office.

Credit for this is due to the industrious and hard-working staff of the satellite office, which is located in leased quarters in a bank next door to the Federal Building. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Larry Ferrell and Mike Price, along with two secretaries, make up the staff of the local office, accommodating an enormous caseload. (While the work expands, no calvary is in sight for the staff here; the U.S. Justice Department is in the midst of a hiring freeze.) Since criminal cases develop as they develop and not within the realm of a normal work week, the attorneys are kept busy nights and weekends, a far cry from the private practices they left; in this context, their dedication to the job is especially commendable.

Since Cape Girardeau made due before the placement of the satellite office here, this question is legitimate: What is the positive impact? With this office in Cape Girardeau, law enforcement agencies throughout Southeast Missouri have become increasingly familiar with the federal court system; they can use that familiarity to their advantage in fighting criminals. In fact, the battle against illegal drugs in this part of the state has been eased significantly because the federal court has a more thorough (and harsher) reach into this particular type of crime. Further, the presence of the U.S. attorneys in Cape Girardeau, along with other federal law enforcement agents (Drug Enforcement, Internal Revenue, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and so on) completes the package in terms of accelerating cooperation between national crime-fighting efforts and local ones. Everyone gains.

The work of the satellite office has been impressive to date. We hope and believe it will continue in that fashion.