(Atlanta) Attorney General Thurbert Baker announced this morning that he had appointed Dougherty Circuit District Attorney Ken Hodges to serve as District Attorney Pro Tem in the case arising out of the shooting death of Kenneth Walker by former Muscogee County Deputy Sheriff David Glisson. The appointment of Hodges follows the decision by Chattahoochee Circuit District Attorney Gray Conger to recuse himself from the case.

In making the appointment, Attorney General Baker noted Hodges’ reputation as an even-handed prosecutor who has experience in handling high-profile cases. Baker stated, “Ken Hodges was my first choice to handle this matter. I have absolute confidence in his ability to make the right decisions. As a prosecutor, you have to examine the evidence presented to you and determine what is the right thing to do regardless of what may be politically expedient. Ken has demonstrated time and time again the willingness to make the tough call in a high-profile case. The people of Muscogee County will be well-served by having Ken Hodges handle this case.”

Ken Hodges has served as District Attorney of the Dougherty Judicial Circuit since January 1997. During his tenure as District Attorney, Hodges successfully prosecuted Dougherty County’s assistant police chief for bribery and perjury and teamed with former Stone Mountain Circuit District Attorney J. Tom Morgan in the successful murder conviction of former DeKalb County Sheriff Sydney Dorsey. His service has been recognized by his peers in Georgia through his election as the President of the Georgia District Attorneys’ Association and his selection as District Attorney of the Year in 2002. Hodges also has served on numerous Gubernatorial commissions and task forces, and he is currently serving on the governing board of the Prosecuting Attorneys Council. He has taken a lead role in prosecuting crimes against children, implementing a Child Death Investigation Team in the Dougherty Circuit and serving on the state’s Child Abuse Protocol Committee.