Office needs an overhaul, mainly focused on bringing in more lawyers and investigators to make sure people are not just being charged with whatever the police charge them with; ensure there is strong evidence first

Would help with screening people out of the system; for example, making sure people who need assistance for drugs or mental health go into diversion programs, not the criminal justice system.

- Office needs an overhaul, mainly focused on bringing in more lawyers and investigators to make sure people are not just being charged with whatever the police charge them with; ensure there is strong evidence first
- Would help with screening people out of the system; for example, making sure people who need assistance for drugs or mental health go into diversion programs, not the criminal justice system.

Administration

A lot of repeat offenders are people with drug and mental health issues, so we want to use the resources that are already out there.

The court system already provides accountability courts and community resource organizations exist, so we want to really use those and put people in those programs prior to just prosecuting them.

- A lot of repeat offenders are people with drug and mental health issues, so we want to use the resources that are already out there. 
- The court system already provides accountability courts and community resource organizations exist, so we want to really use those and put people in those programs prior to just prosecuting them.

Criminal Justice

Won’t send someone with a violent record into a diversion program, because those are the people who do need to be prosecuted.

Atlanta is behind many cities in our crime statistics and we need to deal with it by prosecuting.

- Won’t send someone with a violent record into a diversion program, because those are the people who do need to be prosecuted.
- Atlanta is behind many cities in our crime statistics and we need to deal with it by prosecuting.

Public Safety

It’s important to be realistic about the role of the DA office. They handle felonies, not minor charges like someone found with a small amount of marijuana

Would prioritize putting DA office resources towards violent crimes. The people who have enough drugs on them to be sent to the DA office for prosecution are not the same people who will benefit from an assistance program like a person convicted of minor drug charges would.

- It’s important to be realistic about the role of the DA office. They handle felonies, not minor charges like someone found with a small amount of marijuana
- Would prioritize putting DA office resources towards violent crimes. The people who have enough drugs on them to be sent to the DA office for prosecution are not the same people who will benefit from an assistance program like a person convicted of minor drug charges would.

Entire staff will be required to go through implicit bias training

With a case so racially charged and violent as was Ahmaud Arbery's, the DA herself would have eyes on it and be treating it as a homicide.

All parties involved would be treated with dignity but lies told by other departments would not be tolerated and heavily investigated.

- Entire staff will be required to go through implicit bias training
- With a case so racially charged and violent as was Ahmaud Arbery's, the DA herself would have eyes on it and be treating it as a homicide. 
- All parties involved would be treated with dignity but lies told by other departments would not be tolerated and heavily investigated.

Fani Willis

Discriminates against lower income predominantly black and brown people, leaves them sitting in jail even though they haven't been convicted or formally charged yet they just can't afford to pay their way out.

Taking that system off the table will help people stop losing jobs, houses, medical care, and sometimes life.

Ties into his overall goal of “people over conviction rates” because it will decrease the number of repeat offenders in our system.

- Discriminates against lower income predominantly black and brown people, leaves them sitting in jail even though they haven't been convicted or formally charged yet - they just can't afford to pay their way out.
- Taking that system off the table will help people stop losing jobs, houses, medical care, and sometimes life.
- Ties into his overall goal of “people over conviction rates” because it will decrease the number of repeat offenders in our system.

Marijuana is starting to be legalized in other states and governors are starting to issue pardons for former convictions. With any drug conviction on your record it hinders you from college financial aid or housing opportunities.

Would stop prosecuting marijuana completely.

- Marijuana is starting to be legalized in other states and governors are starting to issue pardons for former convictions. With any drug conviction on your record it hinders you from college financial aid or housing opportunities.
- Would stop prosecuting marijuana completely.

Would create more diversion programs and partner with community resource organizations to rehabilitate people instead of sending them to jail.

Priority should be to help people break out of the system, because if someone has a job that means they person aren't busy trying to hurt others or commit crime.

Does not expect the jail to fix problems and heal people. Would shift resources away from jails and instead give to programs working to prevent people from going into the justice system.

- Would create more diversion programs and partner with community resource organizations to rehabilitate people instead of sending them to jail. 
- Priority should be to help people break out of the system, because if someone has a job that means they person aren't busy trying to hurt others or commit crime.
- Does not expect the jail to fix problems and heal people. Would shift resources away from jails and instead give to programs working to prevent people from going into the justice system.

The case of Ahmaud Arbery hit close to home with him; hopefully a case like this would never happen again

Justice does not mean conviction the job of a prosecutor is to seek out truth and balance and fairness and equity

Transparency is the key to doing the DA job well. Would let the community know the office is doing everything possible to investigate thoroughly, bring balance to victim defendant's rights

Promises to level playing field for marginalized groups (including Black, Latino, LGBT, military veterans)

- The case of Ahmaud Arbery hit close to home with him; hopefully a case like this would never happen again
- Justice does not mean conviction - the job of a prosecutor is to seek out truth and balance and fairness and equity
- Transparency is the key to doing the DA job well. Would let the community know the office is doing everything possible to investigate thoroughly, bring balance to victim defendant's rights
- Promises to level playing field for marginalized groups (including Black, Latino, LGBT, military veterans)

Christian Wise Smith

Gang activity makes up 36% of Atlanta's violent crime so we have to work on reducing that.

Juvenile recidivism rate is about 58% compared to the adult rate which is 34%, so we have to do a better job of getting to young people earlier.

Develop crime prevention programs and provide second chances so we can make sure people get jobs. When people get jobs they can’t commit crime.

- Gang activity makes up 36% of Atlanta's violent crime so we have to work on reducing that.
- Juvenile recidivism rate is about 58% compared to the adult rate which is 34%, so we have to do a better job of getting to young people earlier.
- Develop crime prevention programs and provide second chances so we can make sure people get jobs. When people get jobs they can’t commit crime.

Already started 2 programs, one focused on juveniles who have been arrested 3 times.

Trying to look closely at the family life of the juvenile offender as opposed to just making recommendations.

Partner with the Public Defender office to work together on what is in the best interest of the child rather than just punishment through criminal justice system.

- Already started 2 programs, one focused on juveniles who have been arrested 3 times.
- Trying to look closely at the family life of the juvenile offender as opposed to just making recommendations. 
- Partner with the Public Defender office to work together on what is in the best interest of the child rather than just punishment through criminal justice system.

DA office only prosecutes large amounts of drug sales, not small doses of marijuana.

We need to look at prevention. The office already works closely with accountability courts, one being drug court, because unless we treat drug users they continue coming back and forth through the system.

Would like to see a national bill passed regarding marijuana that creates some consistency across the board because otherwise prosecution will remain confusing and differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

- DA office only prosecutes large amounts of drug sales, not small doses of marijuana.
- We need to look at prevention. The office already works closely with accountability courts, one being drug court, because unless we treat drug users they continue coming back and forth through the system.
- Would like to see a national bill passed regarding marijuana that creates some consistency across the board because otherwise prosecution will remain confusing and differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Reduced violent crime by 70% since he’s been in office and will continue to keep this number going down.

Cannot ignore gang activity, if we do it will only get worse.

Cut in half number of people in jail since he's been in office, and that has an effect in driving down general crime in the community.

- Reduced violent crime by 70% since he’s been in office and will continue to keep this number going down.
- Cannot ignore gang activity, if we do it will only get worse.
- Cut in half number of people in jail since he's been in office, and that has an effect in driving down general crime in the community.

Part of the treatment that the perpetrators in the Ahmaud Arbery case received is because they were either current or former law enforcement.

His office is one of the only offices in the country that will prosecute cases that involve law enforcement officials, and has prosecuted 20 of these cases already.

It is the job of the prosecutors to look at a case and make judgments based on the fact and not overlook it simply because it involves a law enforcement official.

- Part of the treatment that the perpetrators in the Ahmaud Arbery case received is because they were either current or former law enforcement. 
- His office is one of the only offices in the country that will prosecute cases that involve law enforcement officials, and has prosecuted 20 of these cases already.
- It is the job of the prosecutors to look at a case and make judgments based on the fact and not overlook it simply because it involves a law enforcement official.

Paul Howard

The DA is the highest level of prosecution in Fulton County for felonies (murder, rape, large-scale drug trafficking, and other serious crimes). They determine which charges move forward and which charges are dropped. They also have the power to create diversion programs for individuals, instead of sending them to jail.

At the county level, prosecutes felony crimes and creates diversion programs