AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- District Attorney Jared Williams has joined several other DAs and AGs across the country in pledging to use their own discretion to not criminalize personal healthcare decisions.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, 83 elected prosecutors
from around the Country committed to use their well-established discretion and refuse to prosecute
those who seek, assist in or provide abortions, calling the criminalization of abortion care “a
mockery of justice.”
These prosecutors argued in a joint statement, using limited criminal justice resources to prosecute personal healthcare decisions opposes their obligation to pursue justice and promote public safety.
The elected prosecutors make clear their differing approach on the issue of abortion from varied personal
perspectives, but come together in agreement that enforcing abortion bans is a threat to many in
their communities: “As elected prosecutors, when we stand in court we have the privilege and
obligation to represent the people. All members of our communities are our clients – they elected us
to represent them and we are bound to fight for them as we carry out our obligation to pursue
justice. Our legislatures may decide to criminalize personal healthcare decisions, but we remain
obligated to prosecute only those cases that serve the interests of justice and the people.”
District Attorney Williams was one of the elected prosecutors to sign the statement. Williams said,
I fight violent gangs who kill children in the street. I fight abusive parents who put
DA Jared Williams
their kids in the hospital. I fight child molesters who prey on our children. Until our
community is rid of violent crime and sexual predators, I will not expend our limited
resources to prosecute women and their doctors for personal healthcare decisions.
The statement also highlights how abortion bans harm victims of sexual abuse, rape, incest, human trafficking and domestic violence. It also points out that many anti-abortion laws either do not provide exceptions for sexual violence victims or force survivors to choose between reporting their assault or carrying a nonconsensual pregnancy to term.
To read more of the statement and learn about the other elected prosecutors who signed the statement, please refer to the document below.