New Paulding DA Appointed By Kemp After Ex DA Was Forced To Resign, Surrender License

PAULDING COUNTY, GA — Gov. Brian Kemp appointed a new Paulding County district attorney this week, two months after the ex DA, Richard "Dick" Donovan, pleaded guilty to unprofessional conduct and was forced to resign.

Matthew Rollins, who's been serving as acting Paulding DA since Donovan was arrestedand suspended in February 2021, was appointed to the permanent job on Thursday.

Rollins has served the Paulding DA's office since May 2012, and previously held the roles of chief assistant district attorney from March 2019 to February 2021, and assistant district attorney from May 2012 to March 2019, according to a news release.

Rollins also previously served as an active-duty member of the U.S. Marine Corps from December 1999 to December 2003.

He received his juris doctorate from Mercer University School of Law, and his Bachelor of Science in political science from Kennesaw State University. Rollins lives in Acworth with his wife, Minna, and son, Mikael.

Rollins' predecessor, Donovan, pleaded guilty to one count of unprofessional conduct in January this year. As part of his plea deal, he was required to surrender his license to practice law and resign as Paulding DA.

The 76-year-old was first indicted in February 2021 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.

"As independently-elected public servants, Georgia's district attorneys must fulfill their solemn obligation to uphold the rule of law no matter the circumstance," Attorney General Chris Carr said in a news release in January. "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.

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:

• Ex-Paulding DA Pleads Guilty, Resigns, Gets 12 Months Probation
  
• Secret Tapes Reveal Truth Behind Paulding County DA's Indictment
• Bribery Arrest For Paulding DA Donovan