The Callaway County Prosecutor's Office has been trying to hire a new staff member, but shares a common fate of other prosecutors: a lack of applicants.
Prosecuting Attorney Chris Wilson said the office usually consists of five people, himself and four assistants. Right now, there are only three assistants.
Wilson said there have not been as many applicants for the position as in the past.
This issue is not unique to Callaway County, Wilson added, as across the state, offices are finding it harder to fill vacancies.
The issue stems from a lack of students and graduates from law schools across Missouri. At one time, he said, there were lots of graduates coming from law schools each year, but it has slowed down tremendously.
In the past, he had one occasion where there were more than 80 applicants, which is a far cry from the current situation. The office usually has 12 to 15 applicants for an assistant position, he said.
When there were 80 applicants, that was because it was difficult for newly graduated students to find jobs. The current situation is now the opposite, as there are lots of positions available and not enough people to fill them.
The current opening is because of an assistant who transferred to Boone County during the summer.
Adding on to being short an assistant, Wilson said they have been even more short-handed because of summer vacations and other activities resulting in assistants not being available.
All assistants have at least one courtroom hearing weekly, although Wilson said they usually have more than just one.