Meet My Staff

Re-Elect Stan Gunter District Attorney

Meet My Staff

The staff is an important part of the success of my office.

Lumpkin County Courthouse

Charles Smegal, Assistant District Attorney in Lumpkin County Office. Charles was a homicide detective prior to becoming an attorney and served as an Assistant District Attorney in Fulton County. Prior to coming to work in Lumpkin County, Charles was in charge of training other prosecutors in Georgia while working for the Prosecuting Attorneys' Council.

Faizah Shabazz, Assistant District Attorney in Lumpkin County Office. Faizah is newly admitted to the practice of law in Georgia, but had practiced in Michigan prior to coming here. She has been prosecuting misdemeanors for about a year.

Cathy Cox Brakefield, Assistant District Attorney, Drug Prosecutor for Enotah Circuit. Cathy has experience working in the Georgia Attorney General's Office and as drug prosecutor for the Appalachian Circuit. She is a native of Fannin County, Georgia and has been a member of the Bar since 1986.

Jennifer McCarter, Secretary, Lumpkin County. Jennifer has a college degree in criminal justice and has been with my office for three years.

Maggie Waddy, Secretary, Lumpkin County. Maggie has a college degree in criminal justice and has been with my office for two years. She also serves as the secretary to the Drug Prosecutor.

Kathy Meaders, Victims Advocate for Enotah Circuit. Kathy has been with the office since almost the beginning of the Enotah Circuit. She is a certified Victims Advocate and has a great deal of experience dealing with victims in our circuit. Kathy is also very involved in Child Death Review Committees and Domestic Violence Task Forces in the circuit.

Jolene DeVries, Investigator. Jolene has been an investigator in prosecution and private enterprise. She is a certified law enforcement officer and brings a wealth of experience to the office.

Union County Courthouse

Union County office will be staffed in the fall of 2006 when the expansion of the courthouse is completed.

White County Courthouse

Kerry Banister, Assistant District Attorney, White County. Kerry came from private practice and has been a member of the Bar since 1999. She is the senior attorney in the White County office. She particularly likes prosecuting child abuse and child molestation cases.

Penny Crowder, Assistant District Attorney White County. Penny has been with our office since 1999. She had experience working in the White County Magistrate Court's Office and Superior Court Clerk's Office prior to coming to work in the District Attorney's Office. She began as a secretary and as a single mother went to night law school while continuing to work with us. When she passed the bar I was fortunate to be able to offer her a job as and ADA.

Julie Feeney, Secretary, White County. Julie is a college graduate in social work. Prior to working in the White County Office, she worked with DFACS. She manages the White County Office while also helping me process spending requests within the District Attorney's Office.

Towns County Courthouse

Jeff Langley, Chief Assistant District Attorney. Jeff came to our office from private practice in late 1998. He has practiced law since 1986. Jeff has done an outstanding job handling trial calendars in Towns and Union Counties while helping manage the office in all four counties of the Enotah Circuit.

Jeremy Clough, Assistant District Attorney. Jeremy works with Jeff Langley in Towns and Union Counties. Jeremy handles mostly misdemeanor cases. He is also a gun expert which has been useful in some of our cases. Jeremy also writes for various gun magazines.

Homer Thomasson, Investigator. Homer is retired from the FBI. His experience and contacts with the FBI have been very useful in the prosecution of cases in the office.

Cathy Smith, Secretary. Cathy has been with the office since 1999. In addition to her secretarial duties, she manages personnel matters involving the staff and orders supplies for the offices.

Holly McCollum, Victims Advocate. Newest member of the staff. Holly brings with her experience working as a probation officer with a private probation office in our circuit. Her local ties make her very familiar with the needs of victims in Towns and Union Counties.