Candidates Q & A: Clayton County District Attorney

Q: What specifically do you want voters to know about you to help them decide to cast their votes for you?

• Tracy Graham Lawson: I love Clayton County and I have devoted my working life to serve our citizens. Since being their district attorney we have worked diligently and have been very successful: the case backlog is gone; there are 30 percent fewer cases pending than when I began; we win the vast majority of our cases; we have reduced the number of inmates awaiting trial by 177 persons a day, saving taxpayers over $3.2 million per year in housing costs; we put the violent predators and gang members who murder, rape and rob in prison; in partnership with the Juvenile Court we have eliminated zero tolerance policies for juveniles and have been recognized as a role model by President Obama for destroying the school to prison pipeline; and, we have by far the lowest crime rate of the five major county metro Atlanta area. You are 40 percent more likely to be a victim in Cobb County, 50 percent more likely in Gwinnett County, 300 percent more likely in DeKalb County, and 420 percent more likely to be a victim of crime in Fulton County than in Clayton County.

• Jason Green: I am educated, experienced and invested. I am the product of some of the best schools in Georgia having graduated from Benjamin Mays High School, Morehouse College — alma mater of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — and the University of Georgia School of Law. My professional experiences have given me a vast wealth of experience that have prepared me for leadership. My prosecutorial career began as a senior prosecutor assigned to the homicide/major case unit in Fulton County where I was awarded the Trial Lawyer of the Year award in 2004. I also served as a senior assistant district attorney in DeKalb County before being recruited to the Clayton County District Attorney’s Office by my opponent. Here, I held the position of executive chief assistant district attorney and successfully prosecuted the murder of Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Daly, who was slain in the line of duty. However, I’ve also gained balance in the law having put my talents to use to defend those wrongly accused and overcharged as a defense attorney and owner of my own law firm.

Q: What prompted you to run for District Attorney?

• Graham Lawson: I loved my job of 13 years as a Juvenile Court judge. But in 2006 to 2008 our crime rate was spiraling out of control. We had rival gangs shooting at each other in our parks and streets resulting in the murders of innocent children. So I prayed and I ran for district attorney. Since being your D.A., my office has done a complete turnaround but I am not done yet. I am again seeking your vote to continue our successes but also to see our Cold Case Squad begin to bring closure to families of victims of unsolved murders. I am also looking forward to our new Domestic Violence Pretrial Intervention and Diversion Program, which will teach parents how to handle conflict without violence, thus protecting our children and keeping families intact.

• Green: I am not running against anyone but instead on my principles and values. I’m running on the belief that we can and must do more to keep our young people out of the criminal justice system. I’m running because I understand that we cannot significantly and consistently reduce crime until we decrease the recidivism problem caused by barriers to re-entry of the formerly incarcerated. And last but certainly not least, I’m running because I want to instill confidence in the justice system. Events, investigations and trials in Clayton County and nationwide have understandably shaken many people’s faith in the criminal justice system. I am that best candidate to build that trust between the D.A.’s office and the community.

Q: How do you propose to gather support from others for programs, laws and issues you wish to advocate for?

• Graham Lawson: I have over 30 years of connections in our community. I have collaborated with all of our law enforcement agencies, our Clayton County Public Schools, our Juvenile Court, our mental health agencies, our faith community, and other community agencies and outreach groups. I am recognized as both a leader and advocate for our county and have instigated many innovative ideas which have been successful here. I was awarded the District Attorney of the Year for the State of Georgia for 2015 and am currently president of the District Attorney’s Association of Georgia. I have been very involved in the legislative process . Both my staff and I are very involved in reaching out to our youth in schools and other programs, we teach at the police academy, we visit homeowners association and neighborhood watch meetings.

• Green: Instead of focusing my energies and attention on criminal proceedings that target county leadership and create divisiveness, I will devote much of my efforts on creating collaborations and meaningful partnerships with the rich tapestry of churches and faith-based groups, nonprofit organizations and other elected and appointed leaders’ departments to bring about meaningful changes. This will be done with an approach of cooperation and collegiality not antagonism and persecution.

Q: How invested are you in Clayton County?

• Graham Lawson: I have lived here since 1983 and have owned a home here since 1984. My husband, Ted, was born and raised here. His mother still lives in Clayton County, as do our daughter and her husband. Ted and I are members of First Baptist Church of Jonesboro. I have worked for Clayton County for 31 years: as an assistant district attorney for 10 years, a Juvenile Court judge for 13 years, and as your district attorney for nearly eight years. I have been involved in too many community activities to name: a member of the Clayton County Chamber of Commerce; a principal partner of Clayton County Public Schools; a coach, evaluator and judge of the mock trial program; a member of the Clayton County Bar Association; a FAITH member; and a Sunday School teacher to 4-year-olds. I have helped numerous organizations, to name just a few: the Calvary Refuge Center, the Rainbow House, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, Meals on Wheels, the Battered Women’s Shelter, the CASA Program, the Clayton House and the Clayton County Humane Society.

• Green: My wife and I are the parents of three children 13, 12 and 9, and we are extremely proud to call Clayton County home. My wife and I are proud Adamson Middle and East Clayton Elementary School parents. Our family enjoys playing soccer and cheerleading through the parks and recreation leagues, as well as taking advantage of their excellent summer and spring break camps. My wife was the first to move to Clayton when she started her studies at Georgia State University. My first law practice was located in Riverdale and when I accepted court-appointed cases in Clayton, I never billed the county for a single cent. But more than just living our lives here, we have tried to positively impact our community. I am a founding board member of Men Standing In The Gap based here in Clayton. I have started and coach the mock trial program at Mundy’s Mill High School, and have mentored and taught many young men of color throughout the county. In fact, in 2014 President Obama awarded me one of his National Volunteer Service Awards and in 2015 the NAACP chapter presented me its President’s Award. In short, I am committed to seeing Clayton County reach it’s full potential.

Q: What are your plans to make Clayton County safe?

• Graham Lawson: Obviously since we are now the safest of the five major metro Atlanta counties, we need to continue the practices I put into effect in 2009 and have continued to adapt and modify to become better. We have formed two specialized units to better protect our citizens: the Crimes Against Women and Children’s Unit and the Murder Unit. We have focused on the violent predators and gang members, sending them to prison. We in fact were recognized by the DEA for Operation Chokehold, where 45 members of the La Familia Michoacán Cartel were indicted, 46 pounds of methamphetamine plus a lab, 43 kilos of cocaine, 4,120 pounds of marijuana, 20 firearms, and $2,349,000 of U.S. currency was seized. Since I have been D.A. every burglar who has broken into a home has gone to prison.

We do also have a successful Pretrial Intervention and Diversion Program for non-violent offenders that has successfully graduated 2,600 people who paid over $260,000 restitution to their victims and performed over 31,000 hours of community service. Their charges are dismissed so they may obtain employment or go to college or into the military. The recidivism level is very low and the participants pay for the program themselves.

• Green: I will keep the county safe principally by using both traditional and innovative approaches to dealing with crime. My many years as a battle-tested, veteran prosecutor will be employed to dispense justice to those who would prey upon the safety of our citizens by doing them violence and breaking in their homes and businesses. However, I concurrently realize that we cannot handcuff our way out of the crime problem. To this end we will change the approach from the current reactive model to a proactive model. By making prevention our philosophy, we will develop programs to keep our kids out of crime in the first place. We will fight recidivism (re-offending) through re-entry initiatives. After offenders have done their time, we must provide a way for them to earn back their position among us. It’s not about just being tough on crime; it’s also being smart on crime. Finally, we will create a Community Prosecution Unit that focuses on crime where it occurs. Each district of Clayton County will have it’s own assistant D.A. and investigator that handle only their cases. This will increase access for victims, witnesses and citizens to the office and fosters relationships with the community.