Attorney Will Cooper has been appointed interim county prosecutor.
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed him to the post at its Wednesday morning meeting.
Cooper replaces William Starks, who resigned to take a job as a deputy prosecutor with the 16th Circuit District Attorney’s Office. The hiring was announced last month, and Starks’ last day with the county was Jan. 15.
County Attorney Tim Hudson has been filling the role in the absence of an interim appointment.
Wednesday, the supervisors formally declared the office vacant and chose Cooper from among three applicants to hold the office until a special election, which will appear on the ballot during the Nov. 5 election.
The other two applicants were Donna Smith and Joe Van Every.
“We’re proud for (Starks) going to the DA’s office, but obviously it left a hole,” said President Trip Hairston. “… (Cooper) is very qualified. He’s the first applicant who applied, and I think the office will be in capable hands.”
Cooper did not return Dispatch phone calls seeking comment.
The county prosecutor represents the county in Justice Court and youth court.
The office has seen considerable turnover in the past several years. In December 2018 Hal McClanahan was appointed after the resignation of Alison Kizer, who had been elected county youth court judge. In 2019 Steve Wallace defeated Starks in the general election to win the post.
Wallace held the position until he passed away in May 2021. Starks was appointed to fill out the remainder of Wallace’s term, and was elected to a term in his own right last year, running unopposed.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
