Fulton solicitor-general candidates say black lives matter

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A new solicitor-general will be chosen to head the office that handles misdemeanor prosecutions like simple battery, simple assault, stalking, driving under the influence, shoplifting, trespass, and marijuana possession of less than one ounce.

The election for solicitor-general is important enough to a coalition of Atlanta grassroots civil rights organizations that they held a forum for the three candidates, all Democrats, in the Old Fourth Ward on Wednesday night.

The problem, say activists like Mary Hooks, is that the criminal justice system is not serving justice. Law enforcement targets urban, black neighborhoods, she said, and people who haven’t been convicted are sitting in jail just because they can’t afford bail. And the solicitor plays a role.

“We want to be able to raise the conversation and questions that are actually going to shape the conditions and change the conditions of our people in Atlanta, and across Atlanta and Fulton County,” said Hooks, who is a founder of Black Lives Matter Atlanta and co-director of Southerners on New Ground, a queer liberation organization.

Of the 50 or so people who came to hear about the rather obscure office, some said they were concerned about things like racial profiling, getting health care for mentally ill defendants, and heavy punishments.

“Having the punishment fit the crime, to me that’s key,” said Nikitia Reid. For things like possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, punishments need to change, she said. Dealing with being accused of a crime, Reid said, can set a person’s life back years.

LaShawn Woolridge said she’d never been to a panel political discussion before, but thought it would be helpful for the would-be solicitors to hear from people who are concerned about issues such as mass incarceration. “I think it’s good to have a conversation, not just argue,” she said.

All three of the candidates have worked or are working in criminal prosecutions.

Keith Gammage is the chief assistant solicitor in Clayton County. Clinton “Clint” Rucker is a prosecutor in the Fulton County District Attorney’s office, which handles more serious crimes. Teri Walker, now a criminal defense attorney with her own firm, has previously worked in Atlanta, Fulton, and DeKalb’s solicitor-general offices.

All of the candidates pretty much aim to reserve jail time for the most dangerous offenders, not necessarily people who are caught with a trace of weed. For certain nonviolent offenders, the candidates tend to prefer diversion programs and treatment, and none want to see people locked up simply because they are too poor to pay fines. They support training law enforcement officers to understand and handle cases involving LGBTQ people with respect.

But nonetheless, they do emphasize different parts of their platforms.

Gammage said through his experience in Clayton, what’s become most important to him is “that we’re smart in the way we deal with cases, that we’re fair, and most importantly that we’re restorative, rooted in alternative solutions to prosecution.”

The prosecutor holds keys to lives, he said, and the first decision prosecutors have to make is whether a case even deserves to be prosecuted, or if there are alternative programs that are fair to both defendant and victim.

Rucker said he brings a wealth of experience. He’s most famous recently for his role in prosecuting the Atlanta Public Schools test cheating case, but also said he’s prosecuted wayward officers. “I have spent my lifetime, my career as a lawyer trying to protect our families,” said Rucker.

He said he is particularly interested in redirecting young people to programs that will keep them out of the criminal justice system. He also wants mental health and substance abuse counseling to those who need it.

Walker said she understood what she was getting into when she started being a prosecutor. “I understood that the majority of the people that I would encounter would be black men and brown men and I made it my business to be a minister of justice,” Walker said.

She emphasized that she’s the only candidate who has worked in the Fulton solicitor-general’s office and said that the backlog of cases there is a huge problem, not just for the accused but also for victims.

To view videos of the event, visit the Facebook page, click on “Discussion,” and scroll down.

As for campaign money, through the first quarter of the year, Gammage reported having raised just over $104,000 in cash and in-kind donations. Rucker had raised about $87,000 and Walker about $37,000.

The election is on May 24.