Kimberly, Idaho (KMVT-TV) The city of Kimberly is asking Twin Falls County for a helping hand when it comes to prosecuting misdemeanors.

Court cases are usually divided into felony and misdemeanor cases, which are usually prosecuted in different courts by different judges. The state of Idaho requires Twin Falls County to prosecute any felony charges that are made in the county. Cities like Kimberly are often responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor charges that happen inside their own city limits.

Twin Falls County Commissioner Leon Mills says, "Kimberly had an attorney, and he moved or declined to renew, and so they searched for someone to rehire, and it just wasn't feasible."

So Kimberly asked Twin Falls County if they could prosecute the city's misdemeanors, too. The Twin Falls County Commissioners approved the contract to run for two more months, and then they'll need to re-approve it for a year beginning on October first.

Mills says, "Not very often, but it's possible that you could have a case where someone committed both crimes, both a misdemeanor and a felony crime. And it kind of splits the case and causes a double prosecution."

Mills says having Twin Falls County prosecute both the felony and misdemeanor cases for the city of Kimberly will help the whole process flow smoothly. It will also save time by not having the charges prosecuted as separate cases.

Mills says, "The cost is $2200 a month, and it's renewable yearly. Right now our fiscal year is October 1st. And so this is a two month contract, and then it moves on from there to be renewed every October 1st."

Mills says Twin Falls County already has a similar agreement with the city of Buhl.

July 27, 2012.