What is the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia?

Known as PAC, the Morrow-based council helps train and guide prosecutors and solicitors in Georgia’s 50 judicial circuits. It holds continuing legal education seminars, aids members with legal research and provides guidance on professional responsibilities. While most of the funding for DA offices comes from local tax dollars, PAC doles out state money — including for the salaries of some assistant DAs, investigators and victims’ advocates. It also reviews bills being considered in the state Legislature that could affect the criminal justice system. As of 2022, PAC was tasked with appointing substitute prosecutors when a DA or solicitor general’s office has a conflict of interest in a case.

The council consists of nine rotating members — six DAs and three state court solicitors from around Georgia — who set policies that guide PAC’s roughly 40 staff members. The council is currently chaired by DeKalb County District Attorney Sherri Boston. PAC’s day-to-day decisions are made by Pete Skandalakis, the executive director, who served as DA for the Coweta Judicial Circuit for more than 25 years.

A special prosecutor appointed by the council declined to pursue charges against the Atlanta police officers involved in the 2020 shooting death of Rayshard Brooks in the parking lot of a south Atlanta Wendy’s. PAC had contracted with former Gwinnett County DA Danny Porter to review whether the officers’ use of deadly force was “objectively reasonable” and if they acted with criminal intent. The investigation of former officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan had landed with the council after a judge recused Willis and her office from the case because of the conduct of her predecessor, Paul Howard, who had quickly brought charges against the two officers.

PAC also reviewed child sex abuse allegations in Georgia’s Roman Catholic Church. In a 2023 spring report, the council concluded that no priests, deacons or other clergy could be prosecuted because they were deceased, had already been prosecuted or the statute of limitations expired before its review was launched in 2019.

In February 2024, Athens-Clarke DA Deborah Gonzalez tapped Sheila Ross, a senior PAC staffer, to lead the case against Joe Ibarra, the suspect charged in the death of nursing student Laken Hope Riley on the University of Georgia campus. Ibarra was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole late last year.

PAC took the reins of the case against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in July 2022 after Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney disqualified Willis and her office from investigating the Republican because of a fundraiser Willis held for the Democrat who would go on to become his opponent in the race for lieutenant governor.

In September 2024, Skandalakis announced he would not pursue charges against Jones.

The Georgia Supreme Court’s decision means jurisdiction over the Trump case moves to PAC, which steps in when local DAs determine, for ethical reasons, they cannot pursue a case.

Skandalakis said previously that if his organization got the case he would try to find a conflict prosecutor.

In past cases, Skandalakis said he’s looked at factors such as the resources and size of a DA’s office, the level of professional experience and geography to try and assign prosecutors from a similar urban, suburban or rural area from the disqualified office. Skandalakis said in previous instances he’s also taken into account the willingness of a DA to take over a case, though he could assign it without their permission.