By Joe Johnson
An attorney with experience prosecuting cases at the state and federal levels was sworn-in on Thursday as the newest addition to the Western Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office.
Circuit Senior Judge Eric Norris administered the oath in Clarke County Superior Court to David Cooke as Special Assistant to District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez.
He bolsters a staff of assistant DA's that has been depleted by resignations,
Cooke is the former district attorney for the Macon Judicial Circuit, where he served two terms.
He comes to the Western Circuit DA's Office with more than 20 years of experience, with an expertise in prosecuting sex crimes and homicides cases.
He previously served as a special assistant DA in the Coweta Judicial Circuit, as head of the DA's Special Victims Unit in Houston County, as chief senior assistant DA in Atlanta, and as an assistant United States attorney.
In addition, Cooke is a former Athens-Clarke County assistant solicitor, who earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Georgia.
“I am thrilled to join DA Gonzalez’s team, and I look forward to getting justice for the victims, their families, and the community,” Cooke said in a news release.
Bringing David on board as a special assistant DA is extremely exciting,” District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez said. “His experience speaks for itself. He has a long history of success and is masterful in the courtroom. He will be a great asset to our office.” “