Meet Deborah Gonzalez | District Attorney

We had the good fortune of connecting with Deborah Gonzalez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Deborah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Why did I want to run and become the District Attorney? After working with a number of criminal system reform activists, organizations, and others, it became evident that the community wanted a different approach to justice. They wanted change in the DA’s office, which they felt was where a lot of power was situated in terms of gatekeeping into the incarceral system. When I looked at the DAs in Georgia, I did not see representation (I am the first LatinX DA in our state’s history). In my circuit, there had never been a woman DA, and never a minority. The perspectives I bring, and the importance of community voice in the work, are important, but it was not going to happen with the old guard, who had been in place for more than 20 years. Therefore, I stepped up and ran. And the community responded, electing me in 2020, and we have been working diligently together since then.

What should our readers know about your business?
The DA Office is one of various law enforcement agencies in the community with a mandate of keeping our community safe. We do that by representing the State in criminal matters to hold people accountable. The social impact of a DA’s office is immense. Our decisions regarding who to hold accountable and for what crimes, and our recommendations towards sentencing and how to hold people accountable, affects many lives and that in turn affects the community. It is because of this responsibility that I view our work as focusing on three areas in regards to the criminal legal system: preventive (to stop people, especially youth, from becoming system-involved), intervention (offering options to get people back on track while they face consequences for their actions), and re-entry (removing barriers to full integration for returning citizens). Depending on how we exercise our duty and decision-making, we can have positive or negative impact on our community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So many great places to visit but would definitely begin with a visit to the High Museum of Art, lunch in one of the wonderful cafes around town, and end with a show at the Fox theater. If on the weekend, would ensure a visit to Olympic Centennial Park and the Aquarium, and a must not miss National Center for Civil and Human Rights. If some time left over, visit the MLK Memorial and Center for Peace.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to dedicate this shout out to everyone who keeps putting one foot in front of the other everyday.