Recorder's Court judge candidate Anthony Burton talks crime, bond and mental health

ajc.com

Credit: Courtesy of Anthony Burton

Credit: Courtesy of Anthony Burton

Editor's note: The Savannah Morning News spoke with the three candidates for Recorder's Court judge about their platform, why they're running and what they will do to curb crime in Savannah and Chatham County. Hear each of the candidates on the Savannah Morning News' The Commute podcast this week. 

Anthony Burton is one of three candidates running for Recorder's Court judge to fill the seat vacant by Chief Recorder's court judge Tammy Stokes. Burton was previously a Assistant District Attorney in the Chatham County District Attorney's Office. Early voting is taking place, but residents can also cast ballots on May 24.

Savannah Morning News: Tell us just a little bit about yourself and your platform.

AB: "I have been an attorney since 2014. I started out being a prosecutor in Douglas County. Before that, I interned in the Solicitor General's Office of the city of Atlanta. In 2015, I came to Chatham County, Meg Heap hired me; I worked there until this year. My platform is I'm ethical, experienced, efficient, effective."

SMN: Let's touch on those words that you mentioned: ethical, efficient, experienced, efficient, and effective. When you say that, what do you mean?

ajc.com

Credit: Courtesy of Anthony Burton

icon to expand image

Credit: Courtesy of Anthony Burton

SMN: To that point, I want to ask why are you running for Recorder’s Court judge and what are you hoping to offer residents?

AB: "I was in the DA 's office in 2020 when COVID hit and it changed the way that everything happened in the courthouse. The courthouse was basically shut down. Everything was done through Zoom. And the law was thrown out the window. It stopped being what can we do to administer justice, to let's get everyone out, let's make sure the jail is empty. We don't need to worry about arresting, we don't need to worry about prosecuting.

"One of the cases that always comes to mind is that of an individual that in 2019 was a violent felon. He had seven prior felonies, at least two of them were violent, aggravated assaults, aggravated batteries. And we met in 2019, defense counsel, myself and the judge; I went over his record, I went over his new charges. It was trafficking and cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. And at the end of that hearing judge says OK, this individual is a risk to the community. He's a risk to reoffend. And we're not going to grant bond. Jump forward to I believe it was April of 2020. We get together nothing on his case has changed. The only thing that has changed is now we're in the COVID era. And he's released out over my objections. And it took him about a month before he then took a metal pipe to an individual's head, busting their orbital socket. It was an elderly individual; under Georgia law, anyone that's over 65 is considered an elder and it can be elder abuse, and busted his oral socket for the $20 in crack money that he was out. I kept seeing things like that.

"I saw murderers being released. I saw rapists being released. I just said I couldn't sit back and not do anything anymore. Is this position that I'm running for the end all be all? Am I going to be able to make every single call and every single case and fix Chatham County all on my own? No. But it is a small step in which I think I can take in which I can do a lot of good for Chatham County. My opponents have said, well, you can't set a bond and Recorder's Court for a murder. They’re right. That's correct. What I can do is set no bond in that third, fourth, or fifth case where that individual is actively searching for a gun to commit that murder and stop that murder from happening. That's how I can help Chatham County."

SMN: You'd mentioned bonds. Is it solely just the viewpoint of issuing a harsh bond and that's it? Or are there other next steps that you're ensuring as judge to ensure that they may not reoffend? Obviously, bond is one side of it, but are there other aspects that you may explore to make sure they don't reoffend?

ajc.com

Credit: Raisa Habersham/The Savannah Morning News

icon to expand image

Credit: Raisa Habersham/The Savannah Morning News

SMN: At a previous forum, you mentioned you had a role in creating a drug possession pre-diversion, pretrial diversion program. Can you talk about your role in that and how many people you've recommended to that program and what's been the outcome.

SMN: Your other opponents have sat on the bench before, but you come from a prosecutorial background. Can you talk about what you would bring to Recorder’s Court?

AB: "I'm actually a little surprised that they want to talk about their experience on the bench so much. If they were doing what they should be doing, crime would not be rising as much as it is. So, I don't know why they would want to hang their hat on. They've sat on a bench as the city sees some of the worst crime since I've been here. When it comes down to it, sitting as a judge in a municipal court, you sit there you have some traffic cases come before you. It's an appointed position, no one ends up electing them.

"As a judge, you sit back, and you let the other attorneys educate you on what the law is. That's why judges ask for briefs. That's why judges ask attorneys to write orders for him. That's why judges want to have hearings and all these other kinds of things. When you're the attorney, and specifically as a prosecutor, you're the one that has to know the law. You're the one that has to educate the judge on what the law is. You're the one that has to know more than everyone else in that courtroom.

"As a district attorney, I don't know if I've ever had less than 300 or 400 cases that I'm personally responsible for making sure that everything is handled. And again, it's every type of case. So, if you want to come before me and have a hearing on a terroristic threat. I already know the elements, I already know that there has to be some type of corroborating evidence or else there's no case there at all and that judge from municipality may not know that.

"Prosecutors have a yearly CLE trip, continued learning education trip…This is part of being a good attorney. This is part of being a good prosecutor. And it should be part of being a good judge, but it's not required for a judge. But you stay up to date on long and you make sure that you with my experience, I will be the most educated person in the courtroom when it comes to criminal law. And I will stay that way. Because I enjoy criminal law."

SMN: You have a strong social media presence, and one thing that you've mentioned is that you're a law and order candidate. Can you define what that is, and can you speak to some residents who may wonder if that means that you're going to a harsh judge?

SMN: You've been critical with the DA’s office in the past. Obviously, you're running for Recorder’s Court judge and the DA will have to come before you. How will your critique of the DA’s office affect your ability to be impartial in cases in which they are coming before you?

AB: "So, I am not a fan of Shalena Cook Jones, and if she came into my courtroom for her own criminal matter, I would probably need to recuse myself. However, the cases that the DA's office handles are not hers. So, the idea that the domestic violence victim would come into the courtroom, and me, who is run on law and order, is going to say, well, I don't like the DA so victim, we're dismissing your case, your abusers coming home to live with you take that DA's office. That's just ridiculous. And that would be just the most opposite thing that a law and order candidate would be able to do. So, it's not her cases, it does not say, Shalena Cook Jones versus defendant. It's the state of Georgia against the laws of Georgia, and it's upholding those laws. So, there would be no issue."

SMN: You talked about crime in Savannah and by extension, Chatham County. How will you as Recorder’s Court judge work to combat the level of crime that we're seeing?

ajc.com

Credit: Raisa Habersham/The Savannah Morning News

icon to expand image

Credit: Raisa Habersham/The Savannah Morning News

SMN: Can you talk about the function and importance of Recorders Court.

SMN: Why should residents vote for you?

AB: "They should vote for me because I am doing this for the right reasons. I'm not trying to use this as a stepping stone into another court later on. I'm a criminal attorney, Recorder's Court is purely criminal. If I were to go to State Court, I would have to deal with civil cases. If I was going to go to Superior Court, I would have to deal with domestic cases. I'm doing this, because I look at it as the way that I can help Chatham County.

"Besides doing it for the right reasons, I'm also the one that is the most knowledgeable. I'm the only one who has been on the frontlines trying to understand and combat crime for the past better part of a decade. And that experience, my commitment to follow the law, my commitment to find the most efficient way to do it, and my knowledge of knowing the most effective ways to do it, that's why people should vote for me."

This interview was edited for length and clarity. 

Raisa is a Watchdog and Investigative Reporter for The Savannah Morning News. Contact her at rhabersham@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Recorder's Court judge candidate Anthony Burton talks crime, bond and mental health