Members of the clergy are held in a position of trust by their congregation and the community. When a member of the congregation becomes involved in the criminal justice system, the family may turn to their Faith Leader for advice and counsel. Without full knowledge of the workings of the criminal justice system Faith Leaders may feel their hands are tied when attempting to give advice.

On June 19, 2008 the DeKalb County District Attorney Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming and Solicitor-General Robert D. James, Jr. held an inaugural Faith Leader’s Day at the request of several members of the clergy. She offered a training session to help them inform and instruct their congregations.

To help achieve this goal, we need to be proactive in helping the community and to further the dialogue between our areas of influence.

During this event Faith Leaders learned how the criminal justice system works and toured key locations in the criminal justice process including the Courthouse and met with several Superior Court and Magistrate Court judges. DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown hosted a luncheon for the participants at the DeKalb County Jail prior to providing a tour of the facility.

Following a full day of seminars the Faith Leaders were able to identify the legal distinction between the District Attorney’s and Solicitor-General’s Office and fully understood how a case progresses through the criminal justice system. They also gained valuable knowledge of criminal laws governing our state.