DA Willis got yet more bad news on Wednesday, March 13. Not only did six of her charges against former President Donald Trump and some of his co-defendants get dropped, but Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed into law a bill that lets a state commission begin operating with powers to discipline and remove prosecutors. The bill is widely expected to be used against DA Fani Willis.
As background, Governor Kemp signed legislation in 2023 that created the commission, called the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission. The commission could not begin operating, however, as the state Supreme Court refused, in 2023, to approve the rules governing the commission’s conduct. Those rules involved the state Supreme Court, and the justices found they had “grave doubts” about whether they could successfully regulate DA activity. The new bill signed by Gov. Kemp removes the requirement of Georgia Supreme Court approval.
Gov. Kemp signed the bill in a ceremony at which the state first Lady, Mary Kemp, appeared, as did Georgia House Speaker Jon Burns and Lt. Governor Burt Jones, along with members of the Georgia House and Senate leadership. Speaking about it during the ceremony, Gov. Kemp said, “This legislation will help us ensure rogue and incompetent prosecutors are held accountable if they refuse to uphold the law.”
Continuing, the governor added that non-prosecution of crime by soft-on-crime DAs is a major problem, saying, “As we know all too well, crime has been on the rise across the country, and is especially prevalent in cities where prosecutors are giving criminals a free pass or failing to put them behind bars due to lack of professional conduct.”
Similarly to Gov. Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burns focused on the general applicability of the bill rather than how it could be used against DA Willis, saying, “For us in the House our focus is not on any one person, not on any one situation.” Continuing, Lt. Gov. Burns said, “It’s about asking the folks that are elected, just like me, to do their jobs and protect the citizens of this state.”
Lt. Gov. Burns also said, “I am thankful to Governor Kemp for signing this vital piece of legislation into law. Now, the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission can begin its important work and rein in rogue District Attorneys that refuse to uphold the rule of law in our state. If District Attorneys want to continue down this reckless road and put the interests of criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens, they will be held accountable.”
The other side of the aisle was less pleased. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston, in a statement to Fox 5 Atlanta, said, “The signing of Senate Bill 332 shows that Republicans care little about the State Constitution and will stop at nothing to steal power from Georgia voters. The bill fails to address the constitutional concerns raised by the legal community over the last year about the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission and even worse, removes the Supreme Court’s oversight of the body.”
Continuing, DA Boston went on to accuse the commission of being political in nature, saying, “Now this group of political appointees—chosen solely by Republicans—has unchecked power to remove prosecutors whose decisions they disagree with, no matter how well a district attorney or solicitor general represents the voters who elected them in the courtroom.”
Watch footage of the CNN interview discussing the Georgia RICO case against former President Donald Trump below:
Featured image credit: Willis for DA Campaign website
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