AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Voters in Richmond County are deciding in Tuesday’s Democratic primary whether they want to keep District Attorney Jared Williams in office or whether his challenger, Amber Brantley, will take on the role.
Brantley currently serves as assistant district attorney in Columbia County.
Williams currently serves as DA for Richmond and Burke counties-
Williams says he’s running on the fact that he hasn’t hidden in his office he’s been seen and been accountable.
Brantley says she’s looking to uphold, protect and restore fair and just prosecution.
She says she’s been doing the job in Columbia County but now wants the job in Richmond and Burke counties because of family ties to the area.
Williams says he’s been doing more than enough in office while adding the Special Victims Unit and adding the Youth Diversion to the Arts program.
“We spent the past four years building a criminal justice system that understands the difference between the monsters you have to take out and the people you need to help out,” Williams said. “We’ve been building programs and partnerships to make this a safer community.”
Brantley said she wants to “seek justice and do the right thing pertaining to all the cases” and to work through a case backlog.
“So that is my biggest concern,” she said. “Not really the numbers, but just try just doing the work because the work obviously isn’t being done right now with all overpopulated jail, as well as that backlog.”
About the candidates
AMBER BRANTLEY
“Amber is equally committed to deterring crime with strict sentencing for serious offenses as she is to rehabilitation and diversion programs that offer individuals a chance to reform and reintegrate into society,” her campaign website states.
Before serving as the senior assistant district attorney for the Columbia Judicial Circuit, she served as the assistant solicitor general, trial team leader and domestic violence prosecutor for the Domestic Violence Accountability Court in Augusta-Richmond County.
Before that, she worked as assistant district attorney in Valdosta.
“As a wife and mother of two living in Hephzibah, Amber knows what it takes to protect families,” her webnsite states.
JARED WILLIAMS
Williams was born and raised in Augusta, starting at the DA’s office in 2011 as an unpaid intern, working his way up to become a licensed attorney. He left the office to teach elementary students abroad, returning years later to work as a defense attorney.
In 2020 he was elected to serve as district attorney, making history as the first African American DA of the Augusta Judicial Circuit.
Among his achievements, he lists:
- Creation of the first Major Crimes Division for the office. Attorneys in the division are now specialized in violent crimes and special victims case.
- Establishing the first Burke County district attorney’s office.
- Creation of the first pre-trial diversion program for Superior Court, allowing first-time offenders to show accountability and earn the opportunity to keep their records clean.
- Launching programs to help our young people become professionals and stay out of prison through partnerships with community leaders, local businesses, educational institutions and charitable organizations.
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