ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is hiring a Fulton County prosecutor to lead the state’s new gang prosecutor’s office.
Carr announced Wednesday that Fulton County Assistant District Attorney Cara Convery will lead the unit when it begins operations on July 1. She will lead 11 attorneys and paralegals.
Under the new law, signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp, the attorney general’s office will have the power to bring gang cases concurrently with local prosecutors. The state plans to spend $1.6 million on the budget unit starting July 1
Carr said the law will help his office work with law enforcement, prosecutors and federal agencies.
Carr, a Republican, faces Democratic Senator Jen Jordan and Libertarian Martin Cowen in November when he is running for re-election.
Supporters of the law say local prosecutors sometimes have trouble prosecuting gangs committing crimes in several of Georgia’s 50 judicial districts. The attorney general’s office will also target gang activity in prisons.
“Cara Convery has established herself as a driving force in the prosecution of criminal gangs and is a recognized leader in Georgia’s legal community,” Carr said in a statement.
Convery has prosecuted a number of high-profile murders and prosecuted gang members under the state’s Racketeering and Corrupt Organizations Act.
