COVINGTON, Ga. - After eight years of prosecuting cases, Alcovy Judicial Circuit Chief Assistant District Attorney Randy McGinley has announced his intent to run for the position of district attorney after Layla Zon announced last week she would not seek reelection. 

"When Layla first told me of her decision to run for Superior Court Judge, I was very excited for her," he said. "She has been such a great mentor and friend over the years. She truly is one of the best trial attorneys in the state. I have learned so much about being a prosecutor, about managing a growing office and about life from her. Of course, I will greatly miss working for her."

McGinley said his decision to run comes from the desire to continue the success of the office.

"I have decided to run for district attorney to ensure that this great office continues the excellent work that it does for the citizens of Newton and Walton Counties," he said. "I have had the opportunity of working in both counties over the years, and I want to be your district attorney to continue to be a positive figure in the community. I also believe that being a prosecutor is the best job in the world. After receiving so much support from my wonderful wife, my family and members of the community, it was an easy decision to run."

McGinley grew up on Marine Corps bases until his dad retired in Albany after 27 years in the service. After high school, he left Albany to attend Georgia Tech and graduated with a degree in management and certificates in finance and marketing. He then worked for about four years as a real estate appraiser before taking the leap and being accepted into to Mercer Law School. 

"While in law school, I interned at the Cobb County and Jones County District Attorney’s Offices," he said. "Then in June of 2011, just two weeks after graduating law school, I began my legal career as a prosecutor in the Newton County District Attorney’s Office. I was in that office for a few years before moving to the Walton Office. Except for a period of about seven months when I worked for the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office, my entire eight-year legal career has been as a prosecutor with the Alcovy Judicial Circuit.

"I ended up where I am today in large part because of my amazing parents and wife. My parents always believed that hard work and treating people fairly were of the utmost importance. My wife has been my biggest supporter throughout law school and my career as a prosecutor."

McGinley was named Chief ADA in January 2017 after Newton County Probate and Chief Magistrate Judge Melanie Bell was elected to her current position. 

"In that position, I have prosecuted some of the most violent, complex, and high profile cases in both Newton and Walton Counties, including murders, crimes against women and children and complex racketeering matters," he said. "Additionally, my duties as chief assistant include assisting the District Attorney in the day-to-day management of an office that includes more than 20 attorneys and almost 60 total employees between two counties. This includes the training and supervision of the other assistant district attorneys. Additionally, I receive calls from local law enforcement at all hours of the day and night to assist with legal questions and even respond to crime scenes for the most serious crimes."

McGinley said, if elected, he plans to continue to work to make sure the communities in the circuit feel safe and justice is served for the victims of crimes. 

"Our office will continue to work aggressively with local law enforcement to ensure that violent and sexual criminals are prosecuted to the fullest extent," he said. "Additionally, I will continue the work the office has done over the years in helping grow our pre-trial diversion program as well as the circuit’s drug, resource (mental health) and veterans courts. Those programs help those struggling with drug and mental health problems in a way that also saves the community money.

"I will strive to have an office that is both effective and efficient. I will ensure that our offices are good stewards of your tax dollars. I want to continue to implement and utilize new technologies to make our office more efficient and allow us to also save taxpayers dollars."

Anyone wishing to learn more about McGinley's campaign can contact him at randymcginleyforda@gmail.com or on Facebook at Randy McGinley for District Attorney.