Zone 2 Prosecutor Hannah Chung Makes Difference

Three years ago, Senior Assistant District Attorney Hannah Chung, who is now community prosecutor for Atlanta’s Police Zone 2, put her heart and soul into her first jury trial. “I’ll never forget how it made me feel,” said Chung.

The defendant, a known drug dealer who had several cases pending, tried to get around a standard police vehicle registration check by turning down a residential street at about 4 in the afternoon.

To avoid police, he bailed out of his car while it was still in gear. The empty vehicle ran out of control  and hurtled through several front lawns, stopping when it crashed into a church. One witness told Chung that  her grandchildren played in her front yard most afternoons.

“It was an important case because a conviction could sentence him to a minimum of 10 years without parole,” Chung said. The defendant, who was out on bail, refused to plead guilty and did not show up for his trial. Since a jury had already been picked, they were able to proceed and try him in abstentia. He was convicted and is serving a 20-year sentence.  

“This was a great experience for me on many levels,” Chung said, who at the time was eight months pregnant with her first child. “I’ve never forgotten how strongly I felt that the jury should understand that his car could have killed a number of people because it happened at 4 in the afternoon on a densely populated residential street.”

Chung has been with the Fulton County D.A.’s Office since 2006. Before becoming a community prosecutor in June 2010, she was assigned to the non-complex division, which hears about 70 percent of felony cases in the county. Before coming to Atlanta, she was a trademark attorney in New York City.

The criminal justice system can become so inundated with cases that a number of them fall through the cracks, Chung said. Many of those involve repeat offenders who end up committing some of the worst crimes. A case in point is the recent killing of State Trooper Chadwick LeCroy who was shot by a suspect with 18 prior arrests. 

Having a community prosecutor helps build better cases, which leads to more convictions, said Chung. Working closely with police officers, investigating and asking questions helps prosecutors get a better picture of the crime and how to proceed with the case.

An integral part of Chung’s job is keeping the community informed. She attends two or three evening meetings a week, listening to concerns and talking about specific cases or news residents may have heard through the media.

Police Zone 2 is the largest in the city, covering 36.1 square miles. The APD's beat reorganization plan would add 3.4 miles from the Cheshire Bridge and Morningside areas, bringing it to 39.5 square miles. Zone 2 would gain three police beats, three cars and 15 officers.

Crimes prosecuted by the office include auto theft, aggravated assault, larceny, burglary and drug related crimes. In 2010 crime was down in Zone 2 with the exception of auto theft and residential burglary. Special attorneys are assigned to murder, armed robbery, and sexual assault cases.

Chung and her husband, a former federal prosecuting attorney who now works in the private sector, live in Zone 2 with their children, Kelly, 3, and Teddy, 1. Juggling family and work is challenging, but “I’m extremely lucky,” Chung said. “I have a lot of help and support.  My in-laws live close by, and my mother lives with us.”

A typical day begins with day-care drop off at 7:30 a.m.  Then it’s off to the courtroom or to her office on Grandview Avenue in Buckhead. She also spends time digging for and collecting evidence, finding witnesses and getting statements. As an assistant D.A., she participates from time to time in cases outside of her duties as a community prosecutor, such as a recent murder case involving a prostitute and her boyfriend.

If there isn’t an evening meeting scheduled, Chung says she tries to wrap it up by 5:30 p.m. and have dinner on the table by the time her husband gets home at 7:30 p.m.

“I couldn’t be doing this if not for the victims,” Chung said. “They come in all different sizes and colors. You realize when you talk to them, that this is so important to them, even for the less serious crimes. You do whatever you can to vindicate their loss.”