Gov. Brian Kemp downplayed a legal complaint filed by four district attorneys that challenged one of his signature legislative achievements this year: A Republican-backed law that empowers the state to punish or remove prosecutors who don’t enforce tough-on-crime policies.
The governor brought up the lawsuit Saturday at the 10th District GOP rally in Monroe, where hundreds of conservatives cheered when he mentioned the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission that Republicans designed to sanction wayward prosecutors.
“We’re going after rogue prosecutors that don’t want to follow the law and prosecute the law,” he said. “Y’all probably saw where there is a few of them suing us. But you know what? I’m not worried about that. We’re on the right side of that issue, and we’ll continue to be.”
The opponents of the law, which took effect in July, say it’s a power grab that threatens the independence of the judiciary, infringes on free speech rights and forces prosecutors to hide their stances from voters.
They framed the urgent GOP drive for the measure as backlash against district attorneys who promised not to charge low-level drug offenders, enforce the state’s anti-abortion law or take “punitive approaches” to criminal justice.
Meanwhile, Republicans are moving ahead with the new commission. On Friday, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones appointed three members to the panel. Among them is Jason Saliba, a top deputy to Cobb County District attorney – one of the four plaintiffs challenging the law.
“Prosecutors across Georgia should always prioritize protecting Georgia families by prosecuting criminals properly,” said Jones, “instead of focusing on their own special interests.”
Credit: TNS
Credit: TNS
About the Author
