Entire Cass County prosecutor staff exits amid county compensation dispute

Cass County’s entire team of prosecutors is leaving following months of escalating conflict over staffing, retention, and compensation prompting county officials to appoint an interim prosecutor to maintain court operations and public safety services. 

Former Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz announced Wednesday he is joining the Branch County Prosecutor’s Office after resigning from his elected position earlier this month. Fitz’s departure comes alongside the resignations of the office’s remaining assistant prosecutors, leaving all six attorney positions in the office vacant or in transition. 

Thursday morning, Cass County Circuit Court Judge Mark A. Herman appointed attorney Sarah E. Scoggin as interim prosecuting attorney. 

Scogginn took the oath of office Thursday afternoon in Cassopolis. 

According to the county, the interim appointment is intended to provide continuity for prosecutorial functions, court operations, and public safety while Herman oversees the process of appointing a prosecutor to serve the remainder of Fitz’s term through 2028. 

Scoggin has practiced law primarily in Cass County for nearly two decades and has operated her own law office for the past 13 years. The county said her legal work has included criminal, child support, and abuse and neglect cases, as well as participating in Cass County problem-solving courts. 

County officials described Scoggin as well respected within the local legal community, and said her experience managing a law office and working with community stakeholders positioned her to lead the office during the transition. 

The county also said prosecutor positions have already been advertised amid growing staffing concerns. Assistant prosecutor positions were posted April 28, while the elected prosecutor position has been posted since May 14 following Fitz’s resignation. 

According to the county, the prosecutor’s office currently consists of six attorney positions — the elected prosecutor, one chief assistant prosecutor, and four assistant prosecutors — along with seven support staff positions and one operations manager.

The staffing collapse follows weeks of increasingly public disputes between prosecutors and county commissioners over attorney retention, compensation, and the county’s recently implemented classification and compensation system. 

Watershed Voice previously reported that Fitz formally submitted his resignation May 11, less than a week after a contentious May 7 Cass County Board of Commisioners meeting where prosecutors warned additional attorneys could leave if the county failed to provide more flexibility and support for retaining staff. During his press conference Wednesday, Fitz said that support would have cost the county around $10K. 

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Mary Foster and Assistant Prosecutor Jason Ronning also previously announced plans to leave the office. 

Fitz and other prosecutors repeatedly argued during recent commission meetings that Cass County was struggling to compete with neighboring counties, and private law firms offering higher salaries and more competitive compensation packages for attorneys. 

At an April 9 Board of Commissioners meeting, several prosecutors appeared before commissioners and warned that continued turnover was threatening the long-term stability of the office. 

Assistant Prosecutor Jason Ronning delivered one of the sharpest criticisms during the meeting.

“Twenty years ago when I was first offered the chief assistant position, the very first thing one of my colleagues said to me, and I quote, ‘Cass County is a den of vipers,’” Ronning said. “I said, ‘No, it can’t be that bad,’ and I came down and it was pretty bad.”

The meeting frequently devolved into interruptions and personal accusations as prosecutors and commissioners argued over responsibility for the staffing crisis.

Assistant Drug Prosecutor Ken Stecker accused county leadership of blocking efforts to address retention problems, prompting Board Chair Jeremiah Jones to interrupt and warn speakers against personal attacks directed at commissioners.

Fitz repeatedly told commissioners his office lacked the flexibility needed to retain experienced attorneys. 

“My hands are tied,” Fitz said during the April meeting. 

A major point of disagreement centered on Cass County’ s recently completed classification and compensation study, commonly referred to as the “class comp” study. 

The county hired Municipal Consulting Services LLC in 2024 for up to $60K to review county wages, benefits, and internal pay equity across departments. The study ultimately recommended a structured salary system with standardized pay grades and step levels. 

According to the study, Cass County employees overall were paid roughly 1% above the market midpoint among comparable counties. 

Several commissioners argued the county should follow the recommendations of the compensation study rather than approve additional raises outside the new structure. 

Prosecutors countered that countywide averages failed to reflect the specialized labor market for license attorneys, who can often move quickly into higher-paying private practice or neighboring government positions. 

Another major flashpoint involved a proposed step-level retention policy considered by commissioners in March . 

The proposal would have allowed county leadership to approve raises of up to three steps within an employee’s existing pay grade when necessary to retain workers facing outside job offers. 

Supporters argued the measure would help prevent the loss of experienced employees without requiring formal reclassification of positions. Opponents argued it risked creating an end-run around the county’s newly adopted compensation system. 

The proposal ultimately failed in a 7-1 vote, with Commissioner Alan Northrop casting the lone vote in support. 

The dispute intensified further during the May 7 Board of Commissioners meeting after Commissioner James Lawrence sharply criticized County Administrator Jennifer Rentfrow and blamed the compensation process for contributing to attorney departures. 

Lawrence announced plans to seek limits on Rentfrow’s authority and accused county administration of mishandling the situation within the prosecutor’s office. 

Other commissioners pushed back on Lawrence’s comments and defended Rentfrow, with several describing the remarks as disrespectful and inappropriate. 

Days later, Fitz formally resigned.

On Wednesday, Cass County administration released a lengthy statement disputing public claims that county leadership failed to support the prosecutor’s office.

The county said commissioners approved multiple measures in recent years intended to support recruitment, retention, and office operations, including retention increases, on-call stipends, additional staffing positions, office modifications, technology upgrades, and compensation increases tied to the countywide study.

County officials also noted Fitz participated in the compensation study process, and supported recommendations that resulted in additional personnel and compensation adjustments within the office.

“Despite those actions, further requests were made that the Board ultimately declined to approve,” the statement said. “Following those decisions, the former prosecutor and assistant prosecutors resigned.”

The county additionally argued attorney recruitment and retention problems are affecting governments nationwide and are not unique to Cass County.

“Public-sector recruitment and retention challenges are not unique to Cass County or to one profession,” the statement said.

County officials said they continue working with courts, law enforcement agencies, and state partners to ensure prosecutorial services continue uninterrupted during the transition.

Under Michigan law, Judge Herman is responsible for appointing a prosecutor to serve the remainder of Fitz’s elected term, which runs through 2028.

Maxwell Knauer is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.