Azzie Oliver sworn in as Montgomery County’s first African American District Attorney
A historic moment in the Capitol City today as the first African-American was sworn in as Montgomery County’s District Attorney. The Montgomery County Courthouse was the site of her Investiture Ceremony Tuesday afternoon. You may remember that District Attorney Daryl Bailey retired in mid-October. Governor Kay Ivey appointed Azzie Oliver to take his place on October 31st, and this afternoon she officially took her oath of office.
The courtroom was packed as Azzie Oliver was sworn into office by Circuit Court Judge Johnny Hardwick. One after another, judges and county leaders stood up to praise Oliver.
Circuit Judge Calvin Williams said, “Who she was and who she continues to be is one who believes in fairness, and treating everyone fairly, regardless of which side they are on, because justice is for all.”
Katherine Robertson is Chief Counsel with the Alabama Attorney General’s Office. “The real, authentic leaders are the ones who really earned their way to the top. Who put in the hard work, not just for the attention but instead, when nobody was looking, and that’s what you did. You have an amazing story, because you know what it’s like to prepare case files, and you’ve sat with crime victims over the years and made them feel seen and heard,” said Robertson.
Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham said, “I think the message that we’re sending to the bad guys out there is that the scales of justice just got a little more weight, and we’re coming. I am so glad, so glad, that they’re gonna see you, and I’m glad because I’ve seen you in action,” said Cunningham.
Oliver has been a fixture at the Montgomery County D.A.’s office since 1998, and she served as Chief Deputy District Attorney twice for a total of six years. She also served as Chief Deputy of the Alabama Attorney General’s Criminal Trials Division.
“I’m so excited. I’m humbled. I’m honored. It’s just an exciting time for me and my family and for Montgomery I hope,” said Oliver. Oliver told us that serving as the city’s first African American District Attorney is a responsibility she does not take lightly. “The people that came before me that suffered for us to have the right to vote, that suffered for civil rights – their work was not in vain. I’m honored just to be a part of that and to be basically the end goal to that,” said Oliver.
Doug Singleton is the Chairman of the Montgomery County Commission. “So many people across so many lines, political parties, races, churches, football teams, just to say that you have so much support across the business leaders and elected officials and the court system in public safety. I’ve never seen anybody with as much support for this position,” Singleton told Oliver at the ceremony.
When asked about how it felt to have so much support, Oliver replied, “I think that is just a sign that the community is coming together, and that is one of my goals, just to unite people. So we can make Montgomery safer.”
District Attorney Oliver told me that she believes the breakdown of families has contributed to the crime problem in Montgomery, and she says a priority for her office will be to help families create a more stable home environment for children.
