District Attorney

The office of District Attorney in Georgia dates to the division of the colonial office of Attorney General into an Attorney General and a Solicitor-General in 1789. It is the only local prosecutor’s position in the United States whose origins can be traced directly to those English common law offices. As additional Judicial Circuits were created, additional Solicitors General positions were created in the new circuits. In 1968, the title Solicitor-General was changed to District Attorney and the office became a full-time position whose incumbent could not engage in the private practice of law.

Haralson County’s District Attorney is the state's chief prosecuting officer. The District Attorney is an elected constitutional officer, who is part of the judicial branch of Georgia state government. The District Attorney represents the State of Georgia in the trial and appeal of felony criminal cases in the Superior Court for the judicial circuit and delinquency cases in the juvenile courts. The District Attorney is also the legal advisor to the grand jury and performs other duties prescribed by law. In county's without state courts, such as Haralson, the District Attorney also prosecutes misdemeanor cases.

Each of the state's 49 District Attorney’s offices has a full-time staff of assistant district attorneys, investigators, victim assistance and administrative personnel who assist the District Attorney in carrying out the duties of the office.

Mission Statement

The mission of the District Attorney's Office is to:

• Efficiently handle all felony and a variety of misdemeanor cases to ensure that swift, sure justice is handed out to those who present a threat to public safety.
• Demonstrate a compassionate awareness of, and provide for assistance to, the needs of citizens who have become the victims of crime.
• Be responsible and transparent stewards of public funds by managing effectively and making the most use of public resources.
• Develop the capacity to anticipate and effectively deal with new threats to the safety and economic well-being of our community.
• Be ever mindful that the people of the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit have the right to honest and effective prosecution in all cases where there is sufficient evidence.

To learn more about District Attorney, Jaeson Smith, please click here.
To learn more about Services and Victim Assistance, please click here.