Exodus of Prosecutors Slows Case Disposition in Fulton County, Ga.; DA Blames $56K Starting Pay
Nearly a fifth of the assistant prosecutors in the Fulton County, Ga., district attorney’s office have left so far this year, in moves some attributed to what the newspaper describes as the office’s “micromanagement style” and others said they made to advance their careers.
DA Paul Howard points to the office’s $56,000 annual starting salary, less than many could make in private practice. However, he also said that the conviction rate remains high, although the prosecutorial turnover is slowing down some cases as new assistant DAs get up to speed, reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. So far, 18 prosecutors have been hired to replace 21 who have left the office.
One former prosecutor in Fulton County, John Nichols, said he and some others took new jobs at less pay, and described his frustration at having to work in amidst an ongoing feud between the DA and local judges, the newspaper says. He also took issue with having to apply sentencing guidelines and get supervisory approval to resolve many cases.
“It got to the point where I felt I had no discretion, that I felt like I wasn’t an attorney anymore,” Nichols says.
