Office of the Solicitor-General

The Gwinnett County Solicitor's Office is responsible for prosecution of all state misdemeanor crimes in the State Court of Gwinnett County and all County ordinance violations in the Recorder's Court of Gwinnett County.

Misdemeanor crimes consist of any crime punishable by a maximum of one year in jail or less. These crimes include most traffic crimes, including but not limited to, driving under the influence, vehicular homicide, reckless driving, fleeing and attempting to elude, and hit and run. These also include a number of crimes against persons including, but not limited to, domestic violence, battery, simple battery, simple assault, and stalking. It also includes a number of property crimes, drug offenses, and crimes against public order, health, and morals including, but not limited to, theft by taking (less than $500), theft by shoplifting (less than $300), criminal damage (less than $500), criminal trespass, possession of marijuana (less than an ounce), underage possession of alcohol, obstruction, and prostitution.

County ordinance violations consist of any ordinance enacted by the Board of Commissioners made punishable by less than a year in jail. This includes most traffic offenses including, but not limited to, driving under the influence, speeding, and all other moving violations, tag and license violations, and vehicle equipment violations. It also includes, but is not limited to, all zoning, building, construction, property maintenance, health, and fire safety code violations.

In addition, the Solicitor's Office operates a state-certified Crime Victim Assistance Program (VAP). Our Victim's Assistance Program's goals are to provide the highest quality services to crime victims, ensuring that victims are informed of their rights under the Crime Victim's Bill of Rights, advising victims of available community resources, and educating the public on issues of family violence, other violent crime, impaired driving, and traffic safety. Victim advocates are provided to accompany victims to court proceedings, assist victims in obtaining temporary restraining orders, exercise their rights, locate community resources and support services, and obtain victim compensation for injuries and expenses caused by criminal activities. Our VAP program also operates several community outreach activities, including:

• Hands Are Not For Hitting, an interactive puppet show to teach elementary-aged children conflict resolution skills
• DV Resource Guide, a comprehensive resource guide for victims of family violence including safety planning and lethality assessments, and community resource referrals. 
• It Won't Happen To Me, a teen victim impact panel to teach teen drivers sentenced for moving violations the fatal consequences of dangerous driving

2010 Authorized Strength: 54

2010 Budget Appropriations:
General Fund: $ 4,270,971
Crime Victims' Fund: $ 771,044

• Increases in incoming case count while decreasing number of staff

Number of cases opened by the State Court Solicitor's Office:
2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010 (est.)
8,300	8,100	8,900	9,708	10,400	10,800

Number of Citations received in Recorder's Court:
2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010 (est.)
93,000	125,000	150,000	150,802	157,410	162,000

• Increases in the complexity of misdemeanor prosecution due to recent case and statutory law changes leading to the increase in cases pending jury trial and proportional decreases in dispositions by plea
• Increases in multicultural and non-English speaking constituents
• Increases in jail population requiring immediate (fast track) services
• Increases in teen traffic fatalities
• Highway safety
• Increases in domestic violence homicides
• Growing areas of neighborhoods showing blight or decline
• Work flow automation and information sharing—collaboration with other agencies (Criminal Justice Information System—CJIS)

• Complete the Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) project in cooperation with other criminal justice agencies in the county
• Continue to develop and update training programs on issues related to DUI and domestic violence investigations for law enforcement agencies
• Continue to maintain and develop aggressive training plans for each trial prosecutor to develop and maintain expertise in legal issues related to DUI and domestic violence prosecution
• Jail Project: continue to develop, adequately staff, and fine-tune the jail unit to fast-track custody cases efficiently and effectively. Custody cases will be open, investigated, accused, and ready for arraignment (or plea) in less than 72 hours
• Maintain and enhance the Pre-Trial Diversion Program for first-offenders of certain designated offenses
• Translate safety planning and traffic safety brochures, subpoenas, notices, and all written materials for non-English speaking witnesses, victims, defendants, and community
• Increase proficiency and improve tech capabilities office wide with the aim at eventually maintaining disposed files by computer database (paperless)
• Increase proficiency (and de-bugging) in case management system (CRIMES) to support and establish a variety of performance measures
• Become the first prosecutor's office to achieve accreditation through the International Chiefs of Police/Committee on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in order to insure the best management practices with regard to all investigative functions
• Support Community Partners for Outreach Programs, for example: Gwinnett County Retired Educators, Fear This 4 Life, and Partnership Against Domestic Violence
• Update and enhance the code enforcement training program for County departments enforcing Gwinnett County ordinances
• Increase efficiency while decreasing expenses

The Solicitor's Office has a staff of 54 approved positions comprised of prosecuting attorneys, investigators, legal assistants, victim advocates, and other support staff. In 2009 and 2010, we have reduced our budgeted expenses by over nine percent.
The office is divided into four functional parts:

1. The Intake Unit is responsible for investigating and reviewing all incoming cases and charging each case appropriately. It is also responsible for the Jail Team, which has been set up to process custody cases on a fast track and offers special support services to the other units, including appellate advocacy and court coverage as needed
2. The Trial Divisions are comprised of a trial team for each of the six divisions of State Court. A trial team consists of two prosecuting attorneys, one legal assistant, one investigator, and one victim witness coordinator. They are collectively responsible for effective prosecution of cases in each of the six State Court trial divisions
3. Recorder's Court Unit presently consists of three prosecuting attorneys and two legal assistants. They are responsible for the overall effective prosecution of all County ordinance and traffic violations in the three divisions of Recorder's Court
4. The Management Team consists of the Solicitor, three managing attorneys, and one office manager. They are responsible for managing the daily operations and personnel of the Solicitor's Office and planning for the future

Rosanna M. Szabo
Solicitor-General
770.822.8300
rosanna.szabo@gwinnettcounty.com

Rosanna was appointed Assistant Solicitor in 1989 and promoted to Chief Assistant/Recorder's Court Solicitor in 1997. Prior to coming to the Gwinnett County Solicitor's Office, she worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the Occmulgee Judicial Circuit (Milledgeville). She is a 1987 Graduate of Mercer University, Walter F. George School of Law and earned her bachelor's degree in business administration at the University of South Florida (Tampa), class of 1983. She lives in Lawrenceville with her husband and two children.

Julie Potts
State Court Managing Attorney
770.822.8325
julie.potts@gwinnettcounty.com

Julie was appointed Assistant Solicitor in 1998 and promoted to State Court Managing Attorney in 2010.  She is a graduate of George Mason University, School of Law, Class of 1991.  She earned her bachelor's degree in social sciences at San Diego State University in 1986.  She lives in Gwinnett County with her husband and two children.

Lisa Moultrie
Intake Managing Attorney
770.822.8595
lisa.moultrie@gwinnettcounty.com

Lisa Moultrie graduated from Georgia State University College of Law in 2003, after earning a Bachelor's of Arts in publication management from University of Georgia in 2000. She has enjoyed working at the Gwinnett Solicitor's Office as an Assistant Solicitor since 2005. She enjoys appellate practice and her role facilitating addiction treatment as the state's representative to the DUI Court Program. She lives near Norcross with her husband, SuMin Yi. 

Allison Cauthen
Recorder's Court Managing Attorney
770.619.6133
allison.cauthen@gwinnettcounty.com

Allison was appointed Assistant Solicitor in 2005 and promoted to Recorder's Court Managing Attorney in 2010. She is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, Class of 2004; and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration at UGA, Class of 1999. Allison was born and raised in Duluth. She lives with her husband, Jon, two sons, two dogs, and a cat.

Regina Montgomery
Office Manager
770.822.8355
regina.montgomery@gwinnettcounty.com

Regina came to work for Gwinnett County in 1992 and started with the Solicitor's Office in 1999. Regina was promoted to Office Manager in March 2009. Regina attended the University of Georgia. She has one daughter and one granddaughter.