Forrest Allgood’s challenger in the November election, Steve Wallace, criticized the operation of the district attorney’s office, during a Thursday talk at a Columbus Exchange Club meeting.
Allgood, incumbent district attorney for the 16th Judicial District of Mississippi, who also spoke at the meeting, said the office is running effectively. He has been district attorney in District 16, which includes Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Noxubee and Clay counties, since 1989.
Wallace, a Republican, is a Columbus native and graduate of Mississippi State University and The University of Mississippi Law School. He has been a local public defender since 2005.
He took the podium first, offering ways he hopes to improve the district attorney’s office if elected.
Wallace plans to acquire federal funds to bring another prosecutor on board. There are tons of career prosecutors who expressed interest in returning to the area, he said.
Wallace also said he would not “micromanage” the staff. His method is hire the best people for each job, teach them how to perform the job and then “back off and let them do it.”
“I think micromanagement costs the state a lot of grief and costs the 16th Judicial District a lot of black eyes,” Wallace said.
Allgood is a Democrat and lifelong Lowndes County resident; he served as assistant prosecutor for 11 years prior to being elected as DA. Allgood refuted Wallace’s comments and said he does not micromanage.
“I hire the people I perceive to be the best people and give them guidelines. If they go outside those guidelines, I have them tell me why,” Allgood said.
Allgood also noted that “everybody in my office is a career prosecutor,” and grant money might be a lost cause since the district’s population not high enough to qualify for certain funds.
Wallace also called the current office “unorganized” and said it could be streamlined. One option is not processing as many minor drug charges, Wallace said, noting the high volume of cases clogs up the justice court system and causes more high-profile cases to be continued.
“I think we put too many first offenders of non-violent crimes in jail,” Wallace said, noting he prefers trying to help the offenders through programs.
Allgood said he does not designate prosecutors to read through each case to determine if it will be heard by a grand jury and doesn’t try to “intercept” any cases.
While they disagreed on management of the office, both candidates support the death penalty.
And when one audience member asked the two candidates what they would change if elected, Wallace said he would focus on improving “the support staff;” Allgood said he wants to bring in more assistant district attorneys.
The DA’s office currently has five prosecutors, including Allgood.
Allgood defeated fellow-Democrat Bill Bambach in the Aug. 2 primary election.
The district attorney is a prosecutor who represents the people in all criminal matters originating in a trial court except in those counties with county prosecuting attorneys.
The Exchange Club will host two candidates in a local election each Thursday at the Columbus Country Club leading to the November elections. Republican Mike Arledge and Democrat Anthony Nelson, candidates for Lowndes County sheriff, will speak next week. Meetings begin at noon.
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