Rockdale District Attorney Richard Read announced he is seeking re-election to the position of Rockdale County lead prosecutor.
First elected in 1998, Read is running for his fifth term. Prior to being elected as District Attorney, Read was Rockdale's Chief Assistant District Attorney from 1992-1998.
Read has prosecuted high profile cases including Heritage High School shooter Anthony Solomon, recent day care shooter Terrence Roberson and the twins Tasmiyah and Jasmiyah Whitehead who stabbed their mother to death.
"While it hasn't always been easy, I am proud of the work that my office and staff have done on behalf of the people of Rockdale County," said Read in a statement. "It has been my honor to seek justice for victims in this community and to work with some of the finest judges, clerks and law enforcement in the State of Georgia. I hope to continue to use my experience and knowledge to serve Rockdale County."
Read, a Republican, began his career as an intern in the Clarke County District Attorney's Office in Athens, Georgia in 1985. In 1987, after graduating from the University of Georgia School of Law, he worked as an Assistant Solicitor in the DeKalb County Solicitor's Office and in 1990 became an Assistant District Attorney in the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office where he specialized in the prosecution of child molestation cases.
Read and his wife, an attorney in Conyers, have lived in Rockdale County since 1992. They have three children - Camilla, a recent graduate of the Boston Conservatory, and Ryan and Rachel, who attend high school in Rockdale County.
Read is a 1998 graduate of Leadership Rockdale. He is a past president of the Board of Directors for Project ReNeWal. He is a member of the Georgia and National District Attorney's Associations. Read currently serves on the Public Safety Advisory Board for Rockdale Career Academy, is the chairperson for the Rockdale County Child Fatality Review Committee and is President of the Salem High School Dugout Club and served as Coach for Salem's 2013 Fall League Baseball Team.