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A4 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 3 augusT 2023
Georgia prosecutors are suing to strike down a new state law

By JEFF AMY and Jonathan Adams of
Associated Press Butts, Lamar and Monroe
DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — Four counties south of Atlanta.
district attorneys in Geor- Adams is a Republican, the
gia are asking a judge to others are Democrats.
strike down a law creating They say the law oversteps
a commission to discipline by requiring district attor-
and remove state prosecu- neys to review every single
tors, arguing it violates the case on its individual merits.
U.S. and Georgia constitu- Instead, district attorneys
tions. The attack on Geor- argue they should be able
gia’s Prosecuting Attorneys to continue policies reject-
Qualifications Commission, ing prosecution of whole
filed Wednesday in Fulton categories of crimes.
County Superior Court in At- They argue that the gov-
lanta, comes after Republi- ernor and the Legislature
cans pushed through a law can’t dictate prosecution
creating the panel earlier rules, because the Georgia
this year. Republican Gov. Constitution places district
Brian Kemp pledged when attorneys in the state’s judi-
he signed the law that it cial branch, making the law
would curb “far-left pros- violate the constitutional
ecutors” who are “making separation of powers. The
our communities less safe.” mandate to examine low-
Sherry Boston, the district DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston discusses a lawsuit that seeks to strike down a level offenses also distracts
attorney in the overwhelm- Georgia law restricting prosecutors on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023 in Decatur, Ga. prosecutors from more seri-
ingly Democratic Atlanta Associated Press ous crimes, they say.
suburb of DeKalb Coun- “This duty is practically un-
ty and the lead plaintiff, tors have brought fewer national prominence, I the law. “Unfortunately, workable, limiting district
called the issue “bigger drug possession cases and think it was an easy target some DAs have embraced attorneys’ ability to define
than Georgia.” sought shorter prison sen- for folks on the right, espe- the progressive movement enforcement priorities and
“We are talking about pros- tences. It’s been “incred- cially once there was an across the nation of refus- approaches and distract-
ecutorial discretion and ibly convenient” for Re- uptick in certain crimes in ing to enforce the law. That ing from the prosecution
prosecutorial indepen- publicans to oppose pro- certain cities,” Hessick said. is a dereliction of duty, and of meritorious cases,” the
dence, both of which have gressive prosecutors, said The Georgia law raises fun- as a result, Georgia’s com- lawsuit states. The lawsuit
been solidly under assault University of North Carolina damental questions about munities suffer,” Carr wrote says the state law will force
the last few years,” Boston law professor Carissa Hes- prosecutorial discretion. on the X platform, formerly district attorneys to con-
told The Associated Press. sick, who directs the Pros- That bedrock of the Ameri- known as Twitter. sider crimes such as adul-
Like GOP candidates na- ecutors and Politics Project. can judicial system says a Besides Boston, district at- tery, sodomy and fornica-
tionwide, Kemp ran anti- Similar efforts have taken prosecutor decides what torneys challenging Geor- tion. Adams, for example,
crime campaigns in 2022, place in Tennessee, Mis- charges to bring and how gia’s law include Flynn said that after the law took
accusing Democrats of souri, Indiana, Pennsylvania heavy of a sentence to Broady of suburban Atlan- effect July 1, he revoked
coddling criminals. They and Florida. seek. Chris Carr, Georgia’s ta’s Cobb County, Jared his policy requiring mag-
are pushing back after “As the progressive pros- Republican attorney gen- Williams of Augusta and istrates to reject adultery
some progressive prosecu- ecution movement gained eral, said he would defend neighboring Burke County, charges.q

Pair mortally wounded in shootout with Ohio state troopers

VANDALIA, Ohio (AP) — A at a truck stop on US 42. The then chased the truck cab
police pursuit in Ohio even- two van occupants got out through several counties
tually led to the kidnapping and were briefly chased on before the pursuit ended
of a tractor-trailer driver, foot by police, including an in Vandalia on Interstate
spurring another pursuit officer who tried to stop the 70 west, near the Dayton
and a lengthy standoff that pair with a stun gun. The International Airport Ac-
culminated in a shootout male suspect also pointed cess Road. Authorities then
between two suspects and a gun at the officers but did negotiated for about four
Ohio state troopers, leav- not fire it, authorities said. hours with the two suspects
ing both suspects mortally The man and woman then before deciding to ap-
wounded. got into a tractor-trailer cab proach the vehicle in a bid
The initial pursuit began that was unlocked and did to free the hostage. One of
around 1 a.m. Wednesday not have a trailer attached. the suspects then fired sev-
in London, when a police The truck driver was in the eral shots from a handgun
officer stopped a van. Lon- vehicle at the time, and the at troopers who returned
don Police Chief Glenn Ni- truck was soon driven away fire, critically wounding
col said a man and a wom- from the truck stop, hitting both suspects. No troop-
an in the van gave the of- A member of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation looks a London police cruiser but ers were injured, authorities
ficer false information, then over a semi-truck that was highjacked from London, Ohio, and causing no injuries. said. The truck driver who
drove away as the officer stopped near the Dayton International Airport in Dayton, Ohio, The Ohio State Highway Pa- was taken hostage suffered
walked back to his cruiser. early Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023. trol and officers from other only minor injuries and was
The van ultimately stopped Associated Press law enforcement agencies treated at a hospital.q