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Four Georgia district attorneys are taking a stand against Senate Bill 92

DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston discusses a lawsuit that seeks to strike down a Georgia law restricting prosecutors on Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2023, in Decatur, Ga. Boston, and three other Georgia district attorneys filed the suit. (Jeff Amy/Associated Press) DECATUR, GA — Four Georgia district attorneys are suing the State of Georgia in opposition to Senate Bill 92, calling the new law unconstitutional and disapproving of a state commission’s ability to remove or discipline prosecutors for misconduct and other reasons. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston’s office said the lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Fulton County Superior Court. Cobb County District Attorney Flynn Broady, Towaliga Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jonathan Adams, and Augusta Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jared Williams are also suing both the state and members of the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission. The prosecutors want the courts to invalidate SB 92 or stop the commission from handling complaints or disciplining local prosecutors, according to a news release from Boston’s office. The prosecutors are also aiming to keep the commission from investigating or disciplining district attorneys or solicitors general for prosecutorial decisions or for statements related to those decisions, according to the news release. The Public Rights Project, a nonprofit that works with local governments to protect civil rights, is representing the attorneys alongside Washington, Dreyer and Associates and Bruce P. Brown Law. Gov. Brian Kemp signed SB 92 in May, creating the commission to oversee the district attorneys and solicitors general statewide. The law took effect July 1. Boston’s news release explains that the lawsuit contends SB 92 unconstitutional and violates due process clauses of the federal and state constitutions. The lawsuit also claims SB 92 improperly allows the commission to define the grounds for discipline, violates free speech under the federal and state constitutions and interferes with prosecutorial discretion. According to a past news release from Kemp’s office, under SB 92, a district attorney or solicitor general can be removed or involuntarily retired for the following reasons: Mental or physical incapacity that interferes with the performance of duties that is likely permanent Willful misconduct in office Willful and persistent failure to carry out statutory duties Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude Conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice which brings the office into disrepute Knowingly authorizing or permitting an assistant district attorney or assistant solicitor general to commit any of the aforementioned acts. Opposing SB 92, Boston said the commission has the power to “second guess prosecutors” and their policies and decisions. “Under the law, a prosecutor the commission can remove cannot serve again for 10 years,” Boston said at the news conference. She called the law an assault on democracy and, “a direct threat to every Georgian who exercises their right to vote, the right to choose the person who they think best represents their values and in a courtroom; and, it says to them if a state does not like your choice, the state will choose for you.” Williams, the district attorney for Burke and Richmond counties, said SB 92 was created to “shut prosecutors up.” “But, I didn’t march the streets in the Augusta heat to bite my tongue now that I’m here. This legislation strips prosecutors of our discretion but I vow to use this office for good and end the decades of harm done to the powerless,” Williams said. “This legislation violates the voter’s choice. The people didn’t choose us to be robots with law degrees. They chose us to make the tough decisions that ultimately protect our communities. Standing with me is a group of prosecutors. We don’t back down from bad criminals who hurt people, and we won’t back down from bad law and harmful policy. I’m willing to lose my job to do the right thing, but what does it say about us that anyone should have to make that choice.” Adams, the district attorney for Butts, Lamar and Monroe counties, said he believes it is a district attorney’s right to choose how a case should move forward in prosecution, advocating for prosecutorial independence. “As a member of the judicial branch, I believe we have a right and a need to make hard decisions regarding what is important to prosecute,” he said. Broady did not speak at the news conference. Garrison Douglas, a press secretary for Kemp’s office, told Patch the governor does not comment on pending litigation.
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Washington, Dreyer & Associates Soft Launch

In a momentous event for the legal industry, Quinton Washington, Esq. and David Dreyer have joined forces to launch Washington, Dreyer & Associates LLC, formerly known as Bell & Washington LLP. This merger marks a significant milestone for both parties and has already generated high anticipation within the legal community. To commemorate this achievement, Washington and Dreyer celebrated the soft launch at their Buckhead headquarters, surrounded by their dedicated staff, esteemed business associates, and supportive family and friends. The partnership between Washington and Dreyer brings together a wealth of experience and expertise in various legal domains. With Washington’s background in family law and Dreyer’s specialization in business litigation, the new firm is expected to offer an unparalleled range of legal services. Clients can now benefit from a diverse set of skills, as Washington, Dreyer & Associates LLC navigates complex legal challenges, ensures compliance, and advocates for their clients’ interests. During the soft launch event, the ambiance was filled with excitement and optimism for the future of the firm. The partners expressed their gratitude towards their staff, without whose support this merger would not have been possible. They eagerly shared their vision for Washington, Dreyer & Associates LLC, highlighting their commitment to excellence, strategic thinking, and solution-oriented approaches to legal matters. As the firm accepts new clients and further establishes its presence in the legal landscape, the partnership’s synergy is expected to set new standards of innovation and success in the industry.
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Barriers to Leadership While Fathering & Lawyering

By Quinton G. Washington, Esq. Founding Partner Washington, Dreyer & Associates Law Firm Edited by Anana Harris Parris and Nadia Lowe   After being injured in a horrible car accident as a young man, I remember sitting in pain, pinned between the seat and the dashboard, waiting for someone to get… me …out. If I close my eyes, I could visualize myself right back there. I questioned so many things while waiting. I questioned everything except my family and my faith. I learned the true meaning and power of family when that accident happened. Once I was out of that crushed car and hospitalized, my family was there for me every step of the way as I healed. I needed them and their support. It was a lifeline for me. Today, I am not just an attorney; I am a believer in and advocate for family. Family means blood relatives you care about or people who commit to caring about each other. Family helps people to sustain difficult times, be nourished when depleted, and to grow beyond our fears. I became an attorney because I realized after my accident I wanted to help and advocate for others to help strengthen families. What no one prepares you for is the reality that holding a family together as a father while being an attorney can feel impossible some days. The weight of expectations you put on yourself as a father, an attorney, a CEO, a community leader, a city attorney, a brother, a husband, and a son, can crush you if you don’t have a plan and support.    My law practice has now grown through the years and now expanded into Washington, Dreyer & Associates. In the role of founding partner, I not only advocate for my clients at my firm, but I also lead the legal departments of cities and governments as their City Attorney to use the law to help families in communities daily. Public advocacy is more than a position;  it includes helping the government provide quality and fair social services and government programming to all in our communities. Communities are collections of families and individuals who all deserve advocacy.    This leadership journey has not been easy. In the past, I have hidden my struggles and ignored my own needs thinking this was the answer to sound leadership. When I was tired of struggling in silence, I asked for help, accepted advice, and reached out to other fathers, lawyers, business owners, and leaders, which expanded my capacity and family of supporters. I now lead from experience as a father and a lawyer. I now accept help.  Statistically, men struggle with accepting help. According to a Psychology Today article, “Men Are Afraid to Ask for Help The negative outcomes of not seeking help.” The article states, “Men associate seeking assistance for a psychological or emotional problem with shame or weakness.” Excerpt from [3]Addis, M. E. & Mahalik, J. R. (2003). Men, masculinity, and the contexts of help-seeking. American Psychologist, 58(1): 5–14. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.58.1.5   I practice considering the aversion some men have to asking for help. Because I care about the entire family, I am one of the few male lawyers who has practiced family law for over a decade at a high level.  The reason why I work in this area is because I want men to get quality legal advice and not rely on the barbershop environment to guide their decision- making with family law cases.  As a family lawyer, I want men to see that the court system is not rigged against them.  I also work in personal injury so that I can help families get past accidents or the hurtful actions of others and move forward with the compensation and representation they deserve.   The biggest barriers to leadership while fathering and lawyering that become lessons I have learned from my work.     Stay in until it’s over. Do not abandon your case or your goal for family!  The law does not favor one sex over another.  The law favors those who play all in.  Anyone can win their case, but it requires becoming committed to staying  in until it’s over.   Ask for help. Your lawyer is there to help. Prepare your questions before your meeting and email them to your lawyer. You may be comfortable with barbershop or hair salon environments; however, an experienced attorney is the best way to position yourself to win your case.   Prioritize your mental health and well-being while going through your challenges. Your children and family need you, well no matter the struggles you are facing.   Join a support group. If you are a lawyer, business owner, or father needing support, there are several support groups dedicated to offering support. Be sure to ask our community engagement division for a referral.  Write it down. Many of us cram details, emotions, and critical case information in our minds where it gets all scrambled up. Find a journal or a special location in your phone notepad to write down your case facts or personal needs so you can have them ready when you are in the company of help.
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A Lesson in Litigation, Basketball, and Preparation

By David Dreyer, Esq. Edited by Anana Harris Parris & Nadia Lowe Managing Partner Leadership takes many forms. As a father, I am more than a caretaker guiding my children. I am also a student of life’s lessons which constantly make me a better litigator. My son’s last AAU basketball game for the season was a few weeks ago. We had been working on free throws (for years, but in particular in the weeks and days leading up to that game). The game came down to my son at the free throw line with just a few seconds left. The gym was mostly quiet, except for a player on the opposing team, trying to intimidate my son by mocking my son’s coach’s reminders by saying, “Take your time, soft touch.” I knew my son. My son was prepared, and after a well-practiced pre-free-throw dribble and prep, he sank both free throws, winning the game for his team. Again, he was ready. In litigation, we must be prepared and do the work before we are in front of a client, judge, or jury. This is repeated consistently early in your legal career, but the experience is always the best teacher. A coach can preach the importance of free throws in practice, but it doesn’t compare to making the game-winning shot.  As a litigator, I cannot count the times I have listened to opposing counsel tell me my position was untenable or we could not win just before … we won. It wasn’t luck. The stars didn’t magically align during the trial to give me a win. I was prepared. Excellent preparation for a litigator includes more than knowing the law. Every potential argument was explored. Every bit of legal research and thorough trial prep procedure was executed. When we are prepared and know what we are supposed to do, there is a much greater chance our shots will go in and our arguments will succeed. Never forget that.
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Why Complex Litigation and the Allen v. Milligan Case Matter

By David Dreyer, Esq. Edited by Anana Harris Parris & Nadia Lowe Managing Partner On June 8, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Alabama’s Congressional maps violated Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (Voting Rights Act of 1965 – Wikipedia) because the Alabama Legislature impermissibly packed Black voters in one congressional district, diluting their power to decide two or more congressional seats. The decision in Allen v. Milligan (21-1086 Allen v. Milligan (06/08/2023) (supremecourt.gov) was surprising because two conservative judges, who had previously shown hostility to claims of racial gerrymandering, decided that the Alabama Legislature went too far. NPR1 covered the decision and its impact on civil rights. This decision proves the old legal adage: alarming facts make good law. Specifically, conduct carried to an extreme can create a cause of action or expand on a cause of action. If something seems manifestly unjust, odds are there is a remedy in the law. This remedy has a price when the road to prosecuting the case is complex. The impact of litigating complex cases with societal justice hanging in the balance is a journey worth taking. Consider the following observations I have made after trying complex cases and learning of the decision in Allen v. Milligan. Along the journey of litigating a complex case, the dissection of the law and how it was accurately enforced or violated can not only shines a light on injustice, but the journey also allows many to follow the breadcrumbs directly to those culprits who routinely use the law as a tool of oppression rather than equality. Conduct carried to an extreme in cases addressing equality can cause societal, communal, familial, and personal damage. This damage, this injury, is so harmful that the result of the extreme conduct can force a person, a family, a community, or even a society to want to give up on justice. We must advocate zealously for all complex litigation issues so those harmed can be simultaneously healed. Complex litigation that requires long hours of research and sometimes years of investigation and trial prep can test the stamina of even the most experienced lawyers. The resources needed and the personal and family time invested can strain any legal team into a disadvantage. Intimidation can be intellectual. I have never run from a case because it was complex, and I would never teach my sons to run. The Allen v. Milligan decision happened because the legal team was not intimidated intellectually.  It is critical that, as attorneys, we review the details of decisions like Allen v. Milligan. Read more than the final decision. Track the case’s journey and discuss the outcomes so you can learn what resources and stamina you need to begin building throughout your legal career. National Public Radio LAW Section “Supreme Court unexpectedly upholds provision prohibiting racial gerrymandering” June 8, 2023, by Nina Totenberg https://www.npr.org/2023/06/08/1181002182/supreme-court-voting-rights
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Channel 2 News – Greater Travelers Rest v. AI et al.

Greater Travelers Rest v. AIG et al., an over 900 page lawsuit filing by Washington, Dreyer & Associates, LLP interview aired November 22, 2022 on Channel 2 News.  Photo: Mark Winn, Channel 2 News Reporter, Attorney David Dreyer & Attorney Quinton Washington (left to right)  Photo Credit: Washington Dreyer & Associates Media Statement November 22, 2022  Atlanta, Ga.  – Attorneys Quinton Washington and David Dreyer of the Washington, Dreyer & Associates, LLP Law Firm representing The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church, a historic 140-year strong church pastored by Reverend Dewey E. Smith, filed a more than nine-hundred-page long lawsuit today to challenge the predatory lending behaviors of Defendants, including American Investors Group (AIG), Herring Bank, and others. This fraud case used complicated bond instruments, inflated real estate appraisals, misapplication and misappropriation of payments, bribes, and unauthenticated and unregistered bonds to extract millions of dollars from a church serving DeKalb County, Metro Atlanta, Georgia, and beyond. “Our extensive investigation uncovered a conspiracy that appears to primarily target African Americans churches. These types of legal fights too often go unfought, and many churches fall prey to companies seeking to take advantage of them. Our firm is more than equipped to advocate and fight. This is just wrong.” – Attorney David Dreyer, Washington, Dreyer & Associates, LLP “It is a sad day when houses of worship are continuing to be targeted by predatory corporations seeking profit from communities of faith.” – Attorney Quinton Washington, Washington, Dreyer & Associates, LLP Our firm invites the community to review the key points listed below and continue to remain connected to our legal fight against AIG and Herring Bank’s predatory behavior. Key Points to Consider: This conspiracy seems to have primarily targeted African Americans churches. Pastor Dewey Smith and his finance team learned about the payment of a $100k bribe related to their loan, and immediately began an investigation. But even then, Defendants refused to turn over the documents showing the predatory behavior. At the end of the day, the Church has paid about $15,000,000 for property worth only $9,000,000—and the Defendants are still claiming the Church owes over $16,000,000. The Church deserves better, and we trust the courts in DeKalb County, Georgia, and a jury of our peers to determine justice in this matter. The Church also wants this scheme exposed so other churches can no longer be victimized. Greater Travelers just celebrated its 140th year, and our firm will work to ensure the Church is on sound footing so it can be around for 140 more years.  
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