That's largely because the state's funding formula doesn't take into account the amount of reported crime in each county - a factor that hurts Mecklenburg. Instead, it considers other factors, such as the number of criminal cases filed. Some believe the system shortchanges cities because of the influence wielded by legislators and elected prosecutors in rural regions, who outnumber those in urban areas. There is a crisis in some areas. The Jefferson Institute examined the needs of the state's prosecutors and found wide variations in supplies, equipment and space.
Some urban prosecutors contend the system punishes efficient operations.
For instance, they say, it penalizes districts that resolve or dismiss cases early in the court process, before lots of time is wasted. Keith grew so infuriated with the system several years ago, during his tenure as president of a state prosecutors' association, that he distributed a bumper sticker to each of North Carolina's elected district attorneys. Many Mecklenburg court leaders doubt Charlotte will ever get a fair shake under a state-run system. We're at the point where one size doesn't fit all,'' says Shirley Fulton, Mecklenburg's senior resident Superior Court judge. Critics also question the state's spending priorities.