Leonard Appointed By Gov. Deal As Douglas County DA

DOUGLASVILLE, GA – Ryan Leonard will soon be sworn in as the Douglas County District Attorney, Gov. Nathan Deal announced Thursday.

Leonard, who expects to be sworn in as early as next week, will serve until the 2020 election. He has been acting DA since earlier this year after former DA Brian Fortner was appointed by the governor to a state court judgeship.

Since Fortner took the judgeship in the middle of his four-year term, Deal was able to appoint Leonard under a new state law or he could have let voters decide during the 2018 election.

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"I am humbled and honored to receive the appointment of Governor Deal to serve the people of Douglas County as their next District Attorney," Leonard said. "I look forward to serving our community as I have for the last 12 years first as an Assistant DA, then as Chief ADA, and most recently as the Acting District Attorney. "As District Attorney I pledge to aggressively and relentlessly prosecute to the fullest extent of the law both violent criminals and sexual deviants who come into our county and seek to harm our citizens and prey on on our citizens and our children. While we will maintain uncompromising in our pursuit of justice in these serious cases, we will also remain committed to helping those among us who suffer from substance abuse addiction and mental health issues to overcome their issues and return to society for the better.

"My office will remain open to all citizens of our county, and we will continue to work with various community organizations to help those eligible for opportunities like expungements and record restrictions to clear their record and return to gainful employment," he said. "This is a responsibility that I do not take lightly, and I would not pursue unless I knew that I was capable of keeping citizens of Douglas County safe. I look forward to serving my community and am extremely optimistic about the future we will build together."

Leonard has worked for the Douglas Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office since 2006 and has been the acting district attorney since March 2018. He received a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University and a law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law. Leonard and his wife, Erika, have two children and reside in Douglasville.

Photo courtesy Ryan Leonard