Because of Bryan Kohberger murder case, Latah County officials make big budget requests

Latah County District Court is requesting significant increases in its budget to prepare for costs associated with the Bryan Kohberger murder case and a potential trial.

The court wants to increase its trial expense budget to $150,000 in fiscal year 2025. That is a nearly 5,000% increase from fiscal year 2024’s budget, which was $3,000.

Trial expenses include travel and lodging costs for jurors and bailiffs. Those jurors will need supplies, including meals, which is why the court also requested a large increase in its jury supplies budget, from $3,500 to $50,000

The budget request to cover witness fees is also substantially higher than last year’s. For this, the court requested a budget of $25,000 compared to the $3,500 budget last fiscal year. This is largely to pay for travel costs of witnesses who are scheduled to testify in court.

Kohberger’s trial date has not been set, and his attorneys are planning to argue for moving the trial outside of Latah County.

Kohberger, 29, is accused in the stabbing deaths of four U of I students at an off-campus home on King Road in Moscow in November 2022. The victims were seniors Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, and junior Xana Kernodle and freshman Ethan Chapin, both 20.

Court Clerk Tonya Dodge informed the Latah County commissioners that even if change of venue is granted and the trial is moved, the county still has to reimburse the county where the trial takes place for juror costs.

Latah County’s financial officer, Christine Nauman, said the county can pay for these budget increases through fines and fees collected by the court, and with money allocated from Idaho liquor sales revenue.

The Latah County Prosecutor Office’s budget is also influenced by the Kohberger case. Just like last fiscal year, Prosecutor Bill Thompson requested a trial expense budget of $135,000. Before the Kohberger case, Thompson’s office typically requested $15,000 for trial expenses.

Thompson said his office’s expenses will increase if the trial is moved to a different county in Idaho, because Latah County will have to pay for his staff’s travel and lodging costs.

Both Thompson and Dodge said it is difficult to anticipate exactly how much the Kohberger trial will cost at this point.

The commissioners are expected to adopt the county’s annual budget later this summer.