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Council defers prosecuting attorney appointment after contested discussion; schedules interviews for three candidates
Summary
After debate about court coverage, candidate backgrounds and continuity, the Marietta City Council voted to refer the prosecuting attorney selection to an agenda work session and directed interviews of Benjamin Smith, Courtney Brubaker and Ronald Hood.
The Marietta City Council on Wednesday deferred a final appointment of the municipal prosecuting attorney after members debated candidate backgrounds and the need to ensure coverage at upcoming court sessions.
Speaker 3 moved to appoint Courtney Brubaker as prosecuting attorney, but councilors raised questions about availability, past performance and the court’s rising caseload. Speaker 6 said he had received feedback that the current prosecutor was “too lenient,” and others pressed staff on options to ensure coverage at arraignments and plea sessions.
Court administrator Kimberly Odom told the council that plea and arraignment sessions are being scheduled at about 100–120 cases per session, above the intended maximum of 85, and that the city sometimes has to call deep into the assistant-prosecutor list on short notice.
After discussion, Speaker 4 offered a substitute motion to delete the immediate appointments and instead refer the matter to the agenda work session with direction to interview three candidates — Benjamin Smith, Courtney Brubaker and Ronald Hood — and that motion carried. Councilors said the referral will allow an executive-session interview if appropriate and ensure that assistant prosecutor coverage can be arranged so court sessions are staffed.
What happens next: The council directed staff to add the interviews and related personnel items to the agenda work session; any formal appointment was left for a future meeting.
