FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A Court Watch program is kicking off again in Fulton County, recruiting hundreds of citizens from across Fulton County to follow cases as they move through the system. The program aims to cut down on repeat offenders as it holds the court system accountable.
At a press conference Monday, District Attorney Fani Willis along with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Interim Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, Fulton County Chief Deputy Antonio Johnson, and Atlanta Police Foundation President Dave Wilkinson, explained the program and recruited applicants to sign up.
"When you see it over and over again, our officers get frustrated, community members are frustrated and there's victims on the other sides of these crimes," said Mayor Dickens.
The program was initially in place a few years ago, but then COVID hit and the pandemic shut it down. It will track the cases of more than 1,400 repeat offenders who have been arrested and convicted of three felonies already and this is their fourth arrest.
The volunteers will be trained and assigned a case to follow all the way through the system, gathering data on things like when bond is granted and for how much, and the sentences handed down.
"They're also going to send anecdotal advice on what happened in the courtroom what could've been done better and what their thoughts were," said Dickens.
It's a way to watch the court and hold the system accountable.
Willis said they're looking for 250 people to apply right now. To qualify, you must be at least 18 and live in Fulton County. She expects many seniors will apply and hopes the applicants will come from beyond Atlanta and all across the county.
"African American, Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic -- all the greatness and diversity that represents Fulton County is important because crime impacts all of us," said Willis.
The first training class will take place in August. Those interest can apply on the county's website.