COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — More than six weeks ago, Stacey Jackson was sworn in as the new Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit District Attorney.
Tuesday, WRBL caught up with Jackson in the Government Center to see how the transition from criminal defense attorney to the district attorney is going.
When Stacey Jackson was sworn in on May 20, he walked into an office that had lacked stability for a couple of years.
Three-term DA Julia Slater was defeated by Mark Jones. Jones got indicted and convicted of public corruption in less than a year. And Sheneka Terry was in an interim role for about six months.
The top priority for Jackson has been hiring Assistant DAs so they can start to tackle a massive case backlog created by the instability of the office and COVID.
“It’s been going pretty good, but there have been some bumps in the road,” Jackson said. “But we have been able to add new ADAs to our staff. Luckily, thankfully the board of commissioners for some of the outlying counties has allowed us to increase some staff.”
There has also been cooperation from Columbus.
“Also, city council, through Muscogee County has provided us the opportunity to increase staff,” Jackson said. “And we have made a couple of hires. Two of those hires will be starting with the office on July 11. So, we have been able to make some very positive changes within the four to six-week period I have been in office.”
Jackson has a reputation as an excellent courtroom attorney, but for now he’s busy with the administrative aspect of his new job.
“I do plan on being active, but I don’t have a start date yet or which particular cases I may try,” Jackson said. “But I do plan on being active in the courts, not only for myself but for other ADAs who have trials pending. … But as for specific cases, I can’t really say what I will handle. I will handle it as it comes.”
Jackson was appointed DA in April by Gov. Brian Kemp. He will be on the ballot in 2024.