Gov. Brian Kemp inked a significant bill on Wednesday, kickstarting the long-stalled Georgia Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission into action. Senate Bill 332, now law, equips the commission to adopt guidelines, previously stalled after the state Supreme Court ruled in November that laying down their conduct standards exceeded its authority. Reported by Smoke Signals News, the commission will discipline and potentially remove prosecutors who don’t toe the line on upholding Georgia law.
According to Kemp, the aim is clear-cut, "to ensure rogue or incompetent prosecutors are held accountable." The governor, speaking at a brief press conference reported by Smoke Signals News, lashed out at errant prosecutors, tying them to a surge in unchecked crime and knocking them for prioritizing politics over public safety, thus jeopardizing communities.
Amidst accusations of partisanship, officials, including Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, have rallied in support of the bill. "The Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission can begin its important work and rein in rogue District Attorneys," Jones stated, as chronicled by Smoke Signals News. The thrust of the bill's support hinges on the belief that District Attorneys derelict in their duties impede justice and should face accountability.
Opposition, as documented by FOX 5 Atlanta, strikes a different chord. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston accused Republicans of coveting power and undermining voter's choices. She claimed, "Now this group of political appointees—chosen solely by Republicans—has unchecked power to remove prosecutors whose decisions they disagree with, no matter how well a district attorney or solicitor general represents the voters who elected them in the courtroom."
Some District Attorneys are gearing up for a legal brawl. The Augusta Judicial Circuit's Jared T. Williams decried the law as an assault on voter intent, telling FOX 5 Atlanta, "The law signed today is not about ‘prosecutor oversight’, it’s about Voter Overrule." He vowed to challenge the law, just as he did last year when the Georgia Supreme Court nixed a similar bill.
