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LOCAL
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CHAMPION!
Solicitor-general
challenges district attorney
compiled by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
The county’s two top prosecutors are facing each other in the political court as they
vie for the DeKalb County district attorney’s seat.
Sherry Boston, the current solicitor-general, is seeking to unseat Robert James in
the race for the county district attorney position. The pair will face each other in the May
24 Democratic primary.
Each candidate was given a questionnaire by The Champion with instructions to limit
answers to 50 words. Answers that were more than the limit were truncated.
Name: Sherry Boston
Education:
Bachelor of Arts, Villanova University; juris
doctorate, Emory University School of Law
Occupation:
DeKalb County solicitor-general
What political offices have you held in
the past?
I am currently the DeKalb County solicitor-
general. In the past, I have served as
Dunwoody municipal court judge, associate
magistrate judge for DeKalb County and
judge pro hac vice in DeKalb Recorders
Court.
Why are you seeking this office?
I am running because DeKalb needs a
district attorney who is committed to seeking
justice for victims while working hand in
hand with the community to prevent crimes
in the future. We need a DA who will operate
at the highest level of integrity, transparency,
accountability and professionalism.
What expertise do you have that will help
you fulfill the duties of this office?
As a former judge, defense attorney and
current solicitor-general, I have worked in
every facet of the criminal justice system
for 17 years. I have handled thousands
of criminal cases, from minor traffic to
major felonies. I have created diversion
programs to help youthful offenders all while
prosecuting violent offenders.
Why should you be elected (or re
elected) to this office?
This election is about integrity and
transparency. I have an impeccable
record of service, commitment to the
community, and remain a constant voice
for victims. I have responsibly managed
a large prosecution office where we work
collaboratively with community partners to
prevent crime, all with the highest level of
honesty... (answer truncated)
What is your campaign website
address?
www.sherryboston.com
Name: Robert D. James
Education:
B.A. history, juris doctorate
Occupation:
District attorney of DeKalb County
What political offices have you held in
the past?
Solicitor-General, district attorney
Why are you seeking this office?
I am seeking office so that I can continue
to fight against gangs, human traffickers,
public corruption crimes, and mass
incarceration of youthful nonviolent
offenders. I have worked tirelessly to
address these four issues and will continue
to do so if I am re-elected.
What expertise do you have that will
help you fulfill the duties of this office?
I have tried several cases, including
murder, rape, serial rape, child abuse,
and public corruption cases. I effectively
manage a staff of more than 155 people
and a budget of more than $12 million.
Why should you be elected (or re
elected) to this office?
As DA, I’m undefeated in the courtroom. I
created the county’s first human trafficking,
elder abuse, and public integrity units. I
doubled the size of our gang and domestic
violence/sexual assault units. I founded
the DeKalb Family Protection Center that
serves victims of family violence, child
abuse, and sexual assault.
What is your campaign website
address?
www.voterobertjames.com
April 14-20, 2016 » Page 16A
County changes garbage,
recycling container requirements
The DeKalb
County Sanitation
Division has made
changes to the
garbage and re
cycling container
requirements and
collection proce
dures for residen
tial customers.
Effective April 18, only county-provided green gar
bage roll carts, blue 65-gallon recycling roll carts, blue
18-gallon recycling bins and blue 40-gallon recycling
bags are approved for garbage and recycling collection
service, according to a news release from the sanitation
division.
Secure, durable plastic bags are approved for use
for excess garbage disposal and can be placed next to
customers’ garbage roll carts on their scheduled collec
tion day. Customer-provided yard trimmings containers
with a 20- to 40-gallon capacity are currently approved
for use for yard trimmings collection service and will re
main in effect after April 18.
The use of customer-provided garbage or recycling
containers will result in a delay in sanitation collection
service, and customers will be issued a notice advising
of the use of unapproved garbage or recycling contain
ers, the news release stated.
For more information on these requirements and
procedures, any sanitation-related services, how to
obtain a county-provided garbage roll cart or recycling
container, or how to subscribe to the residential
curbside single-stream recycling program, contact the
Sanitation Division’s customer service team at (404)
294-2900 or sanitation@dekalbcountyga.gov, or visit
www.dekalbcountyga.gov, www.dekalbsanitation.
com, www.rollingforwardtoone.com or www.
keepdekalbbeautiful.org.
$5,000 reward offered for help
nabbing woman who punched dog
A $5,000 reward is being offered for information
leading to the arrest and conviction of a woman filmed
punching a dog in unincorporated Decatur.
On March 11, eyewitnesses filmed a woman
walking along Willa Way as she punched a small black
dog, which she was carrying by the neck, according to
a news release by People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA), which is offering the reward.
Witnesses reported that the woman, believed to be
20 to 25 years old, hit the dog with a stick before she
began to punch the animal repeatedly, according to
the news release.
PETA stated that it is offering the reward because
the DeKalb County Police Department has yet to
identify the woman in the video or locate the dog.
“If this woman was disturbed and violent enough
to punch a helpless dog in front of eyewitnesses,
it’s frightening to imagine what she might do behind
closed doors,” stated PETA director Stephanie Bell,
in the news release. “PETA is urging anyone with
information about this woman to come forward now
so that she can be prevented from hurting this dog
again.”
“According to law enforcement agencies and
leading mental-health professionals, perpetrators of
violent acts against animals are often repeat offenders
who pose a serious threat to all animals—including
humans,” the news release stated.
Anyone with information about this case should
call the DeKalb County Police Department at (678)
406-7929.