New DA named for northeast Georgia

Governor Sonny Perdue has appointed a new district attorney in northeast Georgia to replace the prosecutor who had resigned amid a state investigation.

42-year-old Richard K. Bridgeman gets the job--he will oversee the Piedmont Judicial Circuit, covering Banks, Barrow and Jackson counties. Bridgeman moves from the post of assistant DA in the Mountain, Northern and Piedmont districts.

The former DA for the Piedmont Circuit was Tim Madison. He resigned June 4th as an investigation was underway into whether he misspent thousands of dollars from a victims' assistance fund.

Five vie for Northeast Georgia DA job

Five people filed applications before Wednesday's deadline for the job of Piedmont Judicial Circuit District Attorney. The office serves the counties of Jackson, Barrow, and Banks in northeast Georgia.

Tim Madison resigned from the post last month as the state investigation into allegations of misuse of office funds continues. Since then, an assistant Barrow County prosecutor, Allison Maudlin, has been filling-in.

The five hopefuls include three prosecutors and two private attorneys. The selected person will serve through next year, after which the job is on the ballot. Governor Sonny Perdue is expected to make a decision next month.