Governor swears Chris Cohilas in as public defender council member
Dougherty Commission chairman joins Georgia Public Defender Council
Staff Reports
ATLANTA — Dougherty County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas was sworn in by Gov. Nathan Deal as a member of the Georgia Public Defender Council last week.
Cohilas, a graduate of Georgia State University College of Law, where he earned his juris doctor degree, currently serves as a partner in the Watson Spence LLC law firm, based in Albany.
“I am humbled and deeply honored that Gov. Deal considered me for this very important position,” Cohilas said following the swearing-in ceremony. “I am proud to be a part of an organization that supports the principle that every Georgian charged with a crime, irrespective of his or her station in life, should be provided with fair, zealous and effective legal representation.”
The Georgia Public Defender Council is an independent agency within the executive branch of the state government of Georgia. Its mission is to ensure that each client whose case has been entrusted to a circuit public defender receives zealous, adequate, effective, timely and ethical legal representation, consistent with the Georgia and United States Constitutions and the mandates of the Georgia Indigent Defense Act of 2003. The agency also works to ensure all such legal services are provided in a cost-efficient manner and that the representation is conducted in such a way that the criminal justice system operates effectively to achieve justice.
To learn more about the Georgia Public Defender Council, visit http://www.gapubdef.org/index.php/about/our-mission.
Related Articles
Bigger budget will mean improvements at Dougherty County’s landfill
“It’s certainly an opportunity where we can grow and make this very beneficial for years to the community. It’s a service that we provide for the community and I want to prolong that resource for the community. It’s not just fill it up and close it.”
Putting on the Ritz: The rise, fall and renewal of Albany’s Harlem District
On July 7, the Albany City Commission unanimously approved final construction drawings for a comprehensive restoration of the Ritz Theatre and Cultural Center, clearing the way for the project to move into competitive bidding after years of planning and preservation efforts. The decision marks the latest chapter in a decades-long effort to preserve one of Southwest Georgia’s most significant African American landmarks.
Albany City Commission set to vote on skate park funding
“There have been other sites discussed. Based on information (from) the community, we decided on the current site. That’s the only site we’re looking at right now.”
