DA: Donna Sikes
Please summarize your background.
I grew up in Jackson County on a cattle and chicken farm and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1972. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and my law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law. I have had my own law practice for the past 17 years, representing clients in all areas of the law, both civil and criminal. I am a member of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and a graduate from the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce leadership program. I have served as a member and past chairman of the Jackson County Industrial Development Authority, and as attorney for the Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority and for the City of Arcade. I am a member of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit Bar Association and I am licensed to practice in all Georgia Superior Courts, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Georgia Supreme Court and the U.S. Federal District Courts.
How has your background prepared you for the seat you are seeking?
I have successfully tried thousands of cases for my clients and done so without a team of investigators or assistants to back me up. I have had to manage my own office and work within a budget. I also grew up here and have deep family roots in this community. I understand what the people want from their district attorney.
Why are you the most qualified person for this position?
Having 17 years as a practicing attorney admitted to practice before every court in Georgia and having successfully tried cases at the Georgia Court of Appeals and even the State Supreme Court makes me the most experienced attorney in this race.
What do you consider to be the key issues facing the campaign? If elected, what would be your plans on how to address these issues?
The most important issues are restoring public trust and integrity in the district attorney’s office and removing the stench of corruption left by Tim Madison. To achieve this, I will have an “open door, open books” policy so that everyone will know immediately how their tax dollars are being spent.
What is the greatest challenge facing the person elected to this position and how would you address it?
The greatest challenge will be reassuring the public that the district attorney’s office works for them and is not used as a vehicle for personal vendettas, unethical behavior, or outright crime as it was under Tim Madison. As the only candidate who never worked for him, I’m the only one who can restore that trust.
What course would you like to see the county take as it grows over the next decade?
The growth in population in our area will unfortunately bring an increase in crime. The district attorney’s office needs to address that by cooperating with and supporting our law enforcement agencies and making sure they have the training and resources they need to fight increasing crime rates. I will make the district attorney’s office available for the training of investigators and arresting officers anytime a sheriff or chief of police needs that.
I grew up in Jackson County on a cattle and chicken farm and graduated from Jefferson High School in 1972. I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and my law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law. I have had my own law practice for the past 17 years, representing clients in all areas of the law, both civil and criminal. I am a member of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and a graduate from the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce leadership program. I have served as a member and past chairman of the Jackson County Industrial Development Authority, and as attorney for the Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority and for the City of Arcade. I am a member of the Piedmont Judicial Circuit Bar Association and I am licensed to practice in all Georgia Superior Courts, the Georgia Court of Appeals, the Georgia Supreme Court and the U.S. Federal District Courts.
How has your background prepared you for the seat you are seeking?
I have successfully tried thousands of cases for my clients and done so without a team of investigators or assistants to back me up. I have had to manage my own office and work within a budget. I also grew up here and have deep family roots in this community. I understand what the people want from their district attorney.
Why are you the most qualified person for this position?
Having 17 years as a practicing attorney admitted to practice before every court in Georgia and having successfully tried cases at the Georgia Court of Appeals and even the State Supreme Court makes me the most experienced attorney in this race.
What do you consider to be the key issues facing the campaign? If elected, what would be your plans on how to address these issues?
The most important issues are restoring public trust and integrity in the district attorney’s office and removing the stench of corruption left by Tim Madison. To achieve this, I will have an “open door, open books” policy so that everyone will know immediately how their tax dollars are being spent.
What is the greatest challenge facing the person elected to this position and how would you address it?
The greatest challenge will be reassuring the public that the district attorney’s office works for them and is not used as a vehicle for personal vendettas, unethical behavior, or outright crime as it was under Tim Madison. As the only candidate who never worked for him, I’m the only one who can restore that trust.
What course would you like to see the county take as it grows over the next decade?
The growth in population in our area will unfortunately bring an increase in crime. The district attorney’s office needs to address that by cooperating with and supporting our law enforcement agencies and making sure they have the training and resources they need to fight increasing crime rates. I will make the district attorney’s office available for the training of investigators and arresting officers anytime a sheriff or chief of police needs that.
Defined tags for this entry: Election, Jackson County
Sikes campaign signs which had just begun to appear were nothing more
than a very bad April Fool’s joke. That day came and went, but the
signs remained and last week over five thousand people of
questionable judgment cast their vote for her.
She has apparently attempted to distance herself from the behaviors
that have created her husband’s legal problems, but such was not the
case when she made a spectacle of herself here in the Arcade
courthouse when the city government rightfully shut down Sikes Oil,
following an explosion and death under suspicious circumstances.
For those of us who live here in the city of Arcade, the Sikes
era brings many descriptors to mind, but “integrity” isn’t one of
them. For her to imply or assert guilt-by-association regarding any
current officers of the District Attorney’s office with former D.A.
Tim Madison—where no guilt exists—flies in the face of the integrity
she claims to possess.
Sikes’ listings in the phone books appear under general attorneys
& family law. How do divorce and child custody cases qualify someone
to suddenly prosecute assault, rape and homicide cases?
Exactly what is the current status of Joe Sikes’ legal problems?
At one time, he was not only the subject of a wrongful death lawsuit
because of the man who died in the explosion, but there was also an
E.P.A. investigation into how lawful his operations as Sikes Oil
were. Preceding that explosion, I believe there had been numerous
citations for infractions made by the Arcade Police Dept. And if all
that weren’t enough, not only did he threaten the Arcade City
Council, but was stupid enough to do it on tape. What is the status
of that criminal prosecution?
As long as there are serious legal questions hanging above the
head of her husband, would it be a great idea to have Donna Golden-
Sikes in the position of wielding power over any potential witnesses
in either a criminal or civil case involving Joe Sikes?
Perhaps an update on the status of the charges against Joe Sikes
would be in order at this time.
Donna Sikes’ attempts to evade her husband’s questionable history
lacks believability. Far from the “real change” her campaign slogan
calls for, many residents in this part of Jackson County suspect that
Sikes as District Attorney would be a change for the worst.
be the DA is to keep her husband out of trouble.
Joe Sikes is still facing legal issues and if his wife
is the DA, Joe gets out of trouble.
As for experience, I don't think any one in the Piedmont
wants a family/divorce lawyer as the DA. She won't have
a clue.
On a final note, I agree with the last comment. Why
should we vote for Mrs. Sikes? She hasn't explained
to anyone that she is qualified for DA. Probably because
she is not.
that she is not even qualified to be a family/divorce
attorney. I did all the leg work on my case, Mrs. Sikes
simply showed up in court said "Yes, sir" to the judge,
shook the opposing attorney's hand, and sent me a bill.
This is not the work of deication or change that the
citizens of Jackson County deserve.
What do our taxes pay for?? He has to hold accountability and responsibility for his signature just like any other official.
How can you judge Donna Sikes on what her husband has done and said. It lacks integrity to judge her by that especially if you have nothing else to say bad about her as there is nothing to say bad about her.
Can you consciously vote for a man that let another man go who killed a child??
I am appalled at the ignorance of anyone who puts comments out without knowing the history..
Why don't you google Matthew Caylor the criminal that was set free...then make your comments and when another girl dies ...what will you say then..will you make a change then? how many have to die until you are convinced that a signature is the authority to release the criminal?