Former Paulding DA Pleads Guilty To Unprofessional Conduct, Gets 12 Months Probation

PAULDING COUNTY, GA — Former Paulding District Attorney Richard "Dick" Donovan pleaded guilty to one count of unprofessional conduct Thursday and will now face 12 months of probation.

As part of the plea deal, Donovan, who's served as the district attorney since 2010, is required to surrender his license to practice law and has resigned as Paulding DA.

The 76-year-old was first indicted in February on one count of bribery, one count of violation of oath by a public officer and two counts of false swearing, but the attorney general dismissed three of those charges.

Donovan was offered the reduced charge of unprofessional conduct by engaging in malpractice, misfeasance or malfeasance in office. The ex-DA had also been suspended from his role since February following the indictment.

"As independently-elected public servants, Georgia's district attorneys must fulfill their solemn obligation to uphold the rule of law no matter the circumstance," said Carr. "When these same individuals abuse their power with complete disregard for their sworn duties, they harm the very justice system they are put in place to defend and protect. We will not hesitate to hold accountable public officials who violate the law and their oaths of office and hope this case sends a message that public corruption of any kind will not be tolerated here in Georgia."

Donovan's legal issues began when Jamie White, a former Paulding victim-witness coordinator, filed a complaint in 2019 that said Donovan had sexually harassed her. In 2017, White began making recordings of their conversations, which were first obtained and published by 11Alive. The recordings were done in Donovan's office and without his knowledge.

One of the more revealing passages contradicts the claims Donovan made under oath in a sworn affidavit in 2019, in which he said "I never suggested we have sex. I have never offered to have sex with [White]."

But the tapes told a different story.

"I said I was in good health. I'm in perfectly good health. Everything still works. I don't mind telling you everything still works. I'm not out of practice. I can't think of experience I would relish or cherish more than to make love to you," Donovan said to White.

As White continued to push back on Donovan, she was arrested for shoplifting in 2019 in Polk County. According to the indictment, the shoplifting charge was later dropped at Donovan's behest, leading to a charge of felony bribery.

White received a $300,000 settlement in 2020, with Paulding County and the state of Georgia on the hook for most of it.

Senior Judge J. Stephen Schuster, a retired Cobb County judge, accepted Donovan's guilty plea. He presided over the case after Paulding superior court judges recused themselves, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Related:

• Secret Tapes Reveal Truth Behind Paulding County DA's Indictment
• Bribery Arrest For Paulding DA Donovan