Candidate Profile: Makia Metzger For Cobb County Solicitor General

COBB COUNTY, GA — Three candidates are running for Cobb County Solicitor General in the May 24 General Primary Election.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as the primary draws near.

Makia Metzger is running for Cobb County Solicitor General.

<b>Name</b>

Makia Metzger

<b>Campaign website</b>

https://metzger4cobbsolicitorg...

<b>City or town of residence</b>

Powder Springs

<b>Office sought</b>

Office of the Cobb County Solicitor General's Office

<b>Party affiliation</b>

Democrat

<b>Education</b>

Juris Doctor/Law Degree and Bachelor or Arts

<b>Occupation</b>

Attorney for 17 years and Prosecuting Attorney for 15 years

<b>Family</b>

Married to an educator, Britt, who is a Georgia native and we share two sons Will (15) and Eli (9).

<b>Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?</b>

No I do not.

<b>Age</b>

47

<b>Previous public office, appointive or elective</b>

No I have never held public office.

<b>Why are you seeking this office?</b>

I am running for this office because I see a vital need for representation in Cobb County and a need for a seasoned alternative with 15 years of prosecutorial work experience and relevant lived experiences that mirror our diverse community. Having practiced in one of the most dynamic jurisdictions managing high caseloads in Fulton County, I have dealt with all types of situations and cases to include misdemeanors, felonies as well as juvenile cases. As a Black woman who pulled herself up through college while working, graduating summa cum laude, and then attending law school, I empathize with the difficulties and challenges many face as they traverse a society that demeans poverty, race, class and sexual orientation while also struggling within our own minority communities to be deemed relevant. Electing leaders who mirror Cobb County is an absolute necessity in creating healthy communities today.

<b>Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.</b>

I am running for the Office of Cobb Solicitor General because I see a vital need for representation in Cobb County and a need for a seasoned alternative with 15 years of prosecutorial work experience and relevant lived experiences that mirror our diverse community. Having practiced in one of the most dynamic jurisdictions managing high caseloads in Fulton County, I have dealt with all types of situations and cases to include misdemeanors, felonies as well as juvenile cases. As a Black woman who pulled herself up through college while working, graduating summa cum laude, and then attending law school, I empathize with the difficulties and challenges many face as they traverse a society that demeans poverty, race, class and sexual orientation while also struggling within our own minority communities to be deemed relevant. Electing leaders who mirror Cobb County is an absolute necessity in creating healthy communities today.

<b>What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?</b>

I am not a part of, nor will I ever be a part of "Old Marietta," or the "good old boy" network that has been a stronghold in the Office of the Cobb Solicitor General for over 25 years. Both of my opponents have a decade or more of adhering to the old ways and mores. I am a representation of the new Cobb, bringing diversity and integrity through my public and private actions. I will be transparent to voters by providing data-driven analytics to assess programs, something the office has failed to do in the past, so that voters will have the ability to celebrate our communities successes and hold their elected official accountable.

<b>If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?</b>

Not applicable

<b>What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?</b>

Criminal Justice Reform, evidence based prosecution, ongoing implicit bias training, diversity in hiring and promoting, community prosecution, expanding rehabilitation through pre-trial diversions (dealing with mental health, substance abuse and systemic factors) and reducing recidivism through community outreach, engagement and resources tailored for the communities we serve and working with our non-profit and legislative partners to expand expungement opportunities to re-integrate individuals back into communities as healthy citizens.

<b>What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?</b>

Working my way through college to obtain my Bachelor of Arts degree and helping my single mom raise my younger brother, who is now an engineer. Standing up for equal pay for prosecutors and helping create job classifications that led to raises for prosecutors to match other government attorneys 10 years ago. Mentoring legal interns and new attorneys as a senior attorney and trying cases without a second chair on numerous occasions while working huge caseloads similar to running a solo practice where I had to ensure all discovery was served in a timely fashion, manage paralegals and support staff to ensure professionalism and legal compliance with filing and serving subpoenas. Sitting and training with new attorneys in the Solicitor's Office as well as in the Juvenile Division as they tried cases for the first time and ensuring they followed rules of evidence and didn't commit errors that would lead to costly appeals. Within my first year of practice, I co-managed an office as a transactional attorney where we employed pre-closers, paralegals and closers and had to ensure we (the attorneys) could pay our overhead costs and make payroll every month.

<b>What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?</b>

The prosecutor is powerful, so you must always remember to dispense justice fairly with integrity and always do what is right even if it means you won't be liked by all. This is not a popularity contest.

<b>Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?</b>

I will put people first over politics by ensuring that solutions are not a one size fit all and tailored for each individual case and person, and by creating transparency and access to information for the citizens of Cobb. Practical solutions mean efficient prosecution so that our victims can obtain the help and resources they need in a timely fashion, so that the accused can also get closure and meaningful rehabilitation as prolonged wait times are an injustice to our citizens of Cobb, prolonged sentences are an injustice to the citizens of Cobb as well as accountability courts that can't show their levels of success within our communities. I will prosecute cases efficiently, bringing much needed relief to our communities.