Alabama District Attorneys Association Elect New President

The Alabama District Attorneys Association will continue to work on behalf of the victims of crime while seeking fairness and justice through the Alabama court system, says new ADAA President Tom Anderson of Enterprise.

Anderson was elected president for 2018-19 at the ADAA’s summer meeting and training conference. Other officers chosen are Jill Lee of Columbiana, vice president, and Chris Connolly of Florence, secretary-treasurer. Brian McVeigh of Anniston is immediate past president, and Mike O’Dell of Fort Payne is the state association’s representative to the National District Attorneys Association.

“It is an absolute honor to have the support of my fellow district attorneys and to help lead this body for the next year,” Anderson said. “We have a lot we hope to accomplish legislatively and many goals for ourselves to improve our ability to do what we do effectively.

“We are a group of hardworking, caring prosecutors who work for victims and our respective communities with a servant’s heart. We don’t fight for convictions. We want to seek the truth, and our goal is to achieve justice. We hope that our work makes this state a safer and better place to live.”

Anderson was first elected district attorney for the 12th Judicial Circuit (Coffee and Pike counties) in 2010. Prior to that, he served as an assistant district attorney in the circuit for nearly seven years. He was raised in Enterprise and graduated from Enterprise High School. He earned his undergraduate degree from Birmingham-Southern College and his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law.

“Tom brings a wealth of experience to the position, and he has a strong track record of service to the community,” said ADAA Executive Director Barry Matson. “Not only has he prosecuted thousands of felony cases, Tom also has served in various capacities in both professional and community organizations, including the Alabama Sentencing Commission, the Pike Regional Child Advocacy Center and the Wiregrass Angel House.”

In addition to the officers, the Alabama District Attorneys Association’s Executive Committee includes at-large members Michael Jackson of Selma, Kenneth Davis of Phenix City, Spencer Walker of Grove Hill, Ashley Rich of Mobile, Randall Houston of Wetumpka and Daryl Bailey of Montgomery.

The Alabama District Attorneys Association’s membership includes the district attorneys of all 42 judicial circuits, the state attorney general and the director of the Alabama Securities Commission. The association promotes education and professionalism among prosecutors and advocates for a fair, just and effective criminal justice system.