Ken Hodges Wants Swifter Justice

Or so one would be led to believe. A recent press release from the Hodges campaign touts Hodges’ experience as a prosecutor and how that experience puts him in a better position to serve as Georgia’s Attorney General. The AG’s office represents the State in all appeals for death penalty cases – and Hodges believes having sought the death penalty before has prepared him to serve in that capacity as Attorney General.

Hodges is making an appeal, pun intended, to law and order conservatives – look at this excerpt:

“The case of Marcus Ray Johnson—who was sentenced to death 12 years ago—is a perfect example of one of the flaws in Georgia’s death penalty process. To fulfill our commitment to victims’ families and Georgia’s taxpayers, the appeals process must be expedited so that death sentences can be carried out more quickly,” he said.

Ken strongly believes that when the state sentences criminals to death, we ought to use all resources at our disposal—like DNA testing—to ensure justice has been done. And, in the interest of justice, these appeals need to be heard quickly and fully, and if upheld, the sentences carried out swiftly. It is the right thing to do for victim’s families, and Georgia’s taxpayers.

I really could care less about anyone’s stance on the death penalty, but I think we can all agree that the entire process is far more costly and drawn out than it should be. I’m not sure if the solution is to take the option off the table, or to speed up the process. The plain fact of the matter is the process is costly. Too costly. And guess who pays for it.

Hodges’ move does not surprise me. I think Hodges is one of the few Democrats in a Statewide election that has decent chance of winning. But Sam Olens is a formidable opponent in the general election.

h/t: Georgia Unfiltered