Houston County District Attorney’s Office closes over 10,000 cases under current DA’s tenure

PERRY — The Houston County District Attorney’s Office has certainly stayed busy over the years. In an announcement on social media, District Attorney Will Kendall said the office has surpassed over 10,000 cases closed since he took over as DA almost three years ago.

According to Kendall, this is a record he discovered while glancing at reports.

“I happened to see that we had passed 10,000. It’s actually like [over 10,200] and I was just kind of like, ‘Wow.’ That’s quite a bit for my short tenure as DA since September of 2021. And up until now, over 10,000 cases, that’s never been done before,” he said.

Kendall said the case volume reflects the office’s hard work and is part of a legacy of community service.

“I’m just happy to be a part of that. For me, it’s bittersweet, obviously, because my term ends at the end of the year and I’ll no longer be the DA or part of the DA’s office. So, it’s something I take with me but also something I leave behind,” he said. “It means we’ve made an impact in hundreds and thousands of lives of people in Houston County communities and neighborhoods and I think that’s a good thing.”

Kendall is hopeful the office can take a moment to reflect on their achievement and be proud of it.

“What got us to where we’re at right now? What are we looking for ahead of us, but what have we done? What did we accomplish? Know that it’s okay to say, ‘Hey, we did a good job.’ We did something that has never happened before. We’ve set records year in year out. And here we are; we’ve already closed 10,000 cases in just less than a few years. That’s a big deal,” he said.

Kendall believes a crucial part of the achievement is a fully staffed office, with 14 attorneys in a 34-person unit and three superior court judges. Kendall also believes the staff is ambitious and service-minded.

“We’ve got people who want to try cases who want to work, to move cases swiftly and not let them sit idly by. … Our capacity to handle cases is as high as ever, which is a contributing factor,” he said. “But again, I think it comes down to the people. I’ve got a lot of great people that I work with, who don’t just show up to work and punch a time card and try to run out the clock. They’re there to do business and there to listen to people and to seek justice.”

Since the work is for the people, Kendall appreciates their trust in the DAs office. He also said working with the office, judges and courthouse staff has been a blessing, mentioning it has been a significant chapter in his life and he will remain appreciative and humble about his unique experience.

“I have been absolutely blessed to wake up every day as a district attorney and come into work and be amongst people who share the same mindset of wanting to do the job and do it well, to do things for the right reasons. To do nothing out of malice or fear or favoritism, but to do it for the right reasons and seek justice for people and to serve people,” he said. “That has been an absolute blessing and quite frankly an honor and a lifetime experience to be able to do that.”

Looking towards the future, Kendall said the county approved a fourth superior court judge next year, opening up another attorney position. In the meantime, he is preparing for a smooth changeover for incoming District Attorney Eric Edwards and keeping momentum at the DAs office.

“My goal is to finish strong,” Kendall said. “Just because I didn’t win the sheriff’s election or I won’t be the DA anymore, doesn’t mean that it just hang it up and skate by. I think the noble thing to do — the right thing to do — is to dig my heels in and see if we can pass 12 or 13,000 before the year’s up.”