The DA candidate hoping to tackle juvenile violence in Georgia: “It seemed like nobody cared”

By Sahar Akbarzai

When Anthony Johnson came back to Muscogee County in Georgia after serving in the United States Army Reserves, he came back to a city that looked different than the one he grew up in.

“Juvenile violence is out of this world in Muscogee County, kids we have on the street have guns that people in the military have,” said Johnson, a Columbus native.

Gang and juvenile violence have risen across all six counties comprising the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit: Muscogee, Harris, Taylor, Marietta and Chattahoochee, said Johnson, explaining that addressing juvenile violence is one of the reasons he is running for District Attorney as a Democratic candidate.

Johnson will be running against Republican incumbent Don Kelly in the Nov. 5th General Election.

“Georgia has a long way to go in juvenile delinquency. It seemed like nobody cared. Nobody reports on the travesties that are there,” Johnson said.

Gang violence and growing gang networks have not only increased in places like Muscogee County, but across the state as a whole, according to a 2022 press release from the Georgia Office of the Attorney General.

The state’s first statewide Gang Prosecution Unit was created in 2022 by Georgia Attorney General Chriss Carr to tackle the issue, according to the release. 

And this past week, Carr announced a new hire for Gang Prosecution Unit’s recent expansion to Columbus, according to a press release from the Georgia Office of the Attorney General. 

“By expanding our team to include a dedicated prosecutor and investigator in Columbus, we’re able to strengthen our efforts to fully dismantle the growing gang networks that are terrorizing our communities and recruiting our children day in and day out,” Carr said in the release.

There are about 127,732 known gang members and active associates representing approximately 1,974 violent gangs in Georgia, the Attorney General Office said, citing the Georgia Gang Investigators Association (GGIA.) And these gangs are responsible for about 65 percent of all crime in Georgia, CGIA reports.

However, juvenile violence specifically is not being addressed, Johnson said. 

Juvenile violence are most times dealt with privately as minors partake in sealed hearings with judges after being arrested, the candidate explained. “Statistics not really available to (the) public,” he said.

A juvenile public defender and now private lawyer specializing in juvenile cases at his own law firm, Johnson has represented more than a thousand children across the state of Georgia throughout his career, he said.

Johnson believes he is poised to help tackle the issue.

“There is no attorney in this city that has the level of juvenile experience that I have. There’s no person in this city that has been a juvenile defender. I know what made them commit the crimes and what would have stopped them,” he explained.

There must be a multi-faceted approach to tackling juvenile violence, Johnson said. "I do believe in being tough on crime, but that should be a last resort."

There is a lack of resources to assist children in the juvenile justice system, the candidate says. If elected he plans to implement specific policies to deal with children within the prison system.

For instance, social services including mental health such as counseling and therapy should be provided to children and their families. Most of the children he represented never received a mental health diagnosis or allowed to speak to a psychiatrist. The majority of children he represented had mental health issues such as ADHD, ODD (oppositional defiant disorder), or schizophrenia. 

Growing the juvenile drug court, specialized courts for youth with substance use, is another move he would push for. Many children in the system struggle with substance abuse and Johnson wants these courts to help children overcome this challenge.

Expanding and updating recreational centers is another priority for Johnson. Structured environments such as these are safe havens for children, he said.

“I grew up in the recreational center. I went to one and it looked exactly like it did 21 years ago. If you’re not keeping up with time, a kid is not going to play (with the) same things,” Johnson said.  

Attending school board meetings and addressing factors that lead to gang violence is another one of the candidate’s objectives if elected.  

“School drop-outs can lead to joining gangs,” as well as bullying, the candidate said. “Bullying can be (the) reason for joining gangs to feel protected to be part of something bigger.”  

This story was published with support from the election reporting fellowship at The Pivot Fund, a venture philanthropy organization empowering independent BIPOC-led community news.

Without structured environments such as schools to look after children, they may join gangs, especially in Muscogee County, the Johnson said.

“I fell in love with working with kids. I met so many kids,” Johnson said.

When beginning his career as a lawyer, his supervisor encouraged him to become a juvenile public defender because they were scarce.

“The majority of the kids were young black boys and I was a young black male attorney. I got to know the kids, got to see their live circumstances,” he said. 

Johnson says while he has a plan to address juvenile violence,  his opponent does not. “That is a key distinction between him and I.”

Kelly says he wants to “seek justice and keep families safe from violent criminals,” according to his campaign website.

“That’s not a plan or policy, that’s a talking point,” Johnson said.

 “That is a key distinction between him and I,” Johnson said, arguing his opponent hasn’t articulated a plan.