Tune in here to this ​Thursday's edition of Breaking With Brett Jensen!

Breaking Brett Jensen kicks the show off by talking about two major local news stories involving the Charlotte City Council, the FOP, and CMPD Chief Johnny Jennings. He then shifts focus to Governor Josh Stein’s visit to Charlotte, where Stein promoted a proposed Fentanyl Control Unit aimed at combating the opioid crisis in North Carolina. Stein’s plan includes allocating $2.5 million annually for three prosecutors and seven SBI agents dedicated to targeting fentanyl trafficking.

Jensen Interviews North Carolina State Senator Brad Overcash to discuss the Senate’s budget plan to address public safety in Mecklenburg County. Overcash, who helped craft the Senate’s budget, explained that a peer-reviewed study funded by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Foundation and conducted by UNC Charlotte identified a significant shortage of prosecutors in the area. In response, the Senate budget includes funding for 10 new assistant district attorneys and five victim-witness coordinators in Mecklenburg County. Overcash emphasized that this approach was data-driven and developed in close consultation with the District Attorney’s Office and local stakeholders.

Jensen also interviewed Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather, who discussed the growing strain on his office and the urgent need for additional prosecutors. Despite serving over 1.2 million residents and handling the state’s highest criminal caseload, the office has only 62 fully funded assistant district attorney positions—unchanged since 2010. Merriweather detailed how underfunding has resulted in long trial delays, especially in homicide and violent crime cases, sometimes stretching five to six years. He credited ongoing conversations with legislators, including Senator Brad Overcash, for progress in addressing these needs.

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