ATLANTA — Editor's note: Video in this story is from previous coverage of William Kendall.
It’s a new year and the Houston Judicial Circuit may soon have a new district attorney.
A Friday news release from Gov. Brian Kemp’s office announced his intent to appoint a district attorney -- and it’s the current ‘acting’ district attorney, William Kendall.
Former DA George Hartwig was re-elected to a four-year term in Nov. 2020 and then announced his retirement last August, leaving Kendall as his temporary replacement.
Back in December, Kendall told 13WMAZ he and three other people had been interviewed for the position, but did not know the governor’s timetable for making an appointment.
Kendall received his Bachelors of Science in Homeland Security and Public Safety from Vincennes University in Indiana, and his Juris Doctorate from Southern Illinois University School of Law.
He served as the assistant district attorney for the Cordele Judicial Circuit from Dec. 2018-March 2020, and the assistant district attorney for the Houston Judicial Circuit from April 2019 to March 2021.
Kendall sent out a release Friday afternoon highlighting some of the office's recent hiring decisions and increase in trial weeks in 2022. You can read part of it below:
"Recently, we have hired our 30th employee. To provide insight we had less than 10 employees in our office on September 1st, when I became the Acting DA. At nearly a full staff we are making ready for some 31 trial weeks that have been planned in 2022. Our experienced staff has been planning and working hard to prepare for the increase in trials, while being mindful of case back log, and proactive police and prosecution efforts on crime trends."