The Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission shall administer the discipline and incapacity system for prosecuting attorneys. Click here to learn more.

The PAQC investigates formal complaints.  When we receive a complaint the Director screens it to see if it meets all the statutory requirements for a complaint (form), and to see if it would it support one or more of the of the statutory grounds for discipline (substance) if everything in the complaint were both true and verifiable.  If the complaint doesn’t meet the statutory requirements (form), we will notify the Complainant, let them know why it is insufficient, and they may choose to address those issues and resubmit.  If the complaint does meet the statutory requirements, we will conduct a preliminary investigation into the substance.  After the preliminary investigation we can either ask the Investigative Panel to authorize a formal investigation, or dismiss the complaint. The Complainant will be notified in either event.  The Complainant may appeal a dismissal of a complaint to the Investigative Panel.

The only way to submit complaints is via the Complaint Submission Form here on the PAQC website.

Complainants are notified of decisions during the complaint process and the outcome.  If the complaint is dismissed the Complainant has ability to provide more information and resubmit, or appeal the decision.

Not everything falls under the jurisdiction of the PAQC, and some things that do fall under our jurisdiction also fall under the jurisdiction of other entities.  For example, if your complaint is in regards to a criminal prosecution of a loved one, the correct forum may be an appeal or writ of habeas corpus.  If your complaint is in regards to a judge, the Judicial Qualifications Commission has jurisdiction.  The State Ethics Commission handles campaign finance oversight.  The State Bar handles complaints against all attorneys as opposed to only elected district attorneys and solicitors general.  If you are alleging the DA or SG committed a crime, various police, sheriffs, the GBI, and or the FBI may have jurisdiction.

An affidavit is a sworn statement a person makes before a notary asserting that the facts contained within are true to the best of that person’s knowledge. Please click on the link for a blank form.  Print the Affidavit, take it to a Notary Public, have it notarized, then scan the notarized affidavit and attach in the affidavit section of the complaint.  If you do not have access to a scanner, most smart phones can function as scanners with free to use apps such as Adobe Scan.

The statute that created the PAQC requires it.  The PAQC does not have jurisdiction to investigate a complaint that is not accompanied by an affidavit laying out the personal knowledge of the complainant and the required disclosures.

There are statutory requirements after a complaint is screened and deemed sufficient for investigation. Please click here to see the process and timeframes.

The Director shall provide written acknowledgment of every complaint entertainable under OCGA 15-18-32, and notify the complainant in writing of the final disposition of a proceeding under these Rules. Notification in writing shall be mailed within 10 days of the final disposition of the proceeding.

It is advisable for the Director to keep the complainant informed of the status of the case throughout the proceedings. Providing notice to complainants of the final disposition in all cases is vital to maintaining public confidence in the disciplinary system. When a complaint has been dismissed, the notification to the complainant should include a brief summary of the facts and reasoning upon which the decision to dismiss was made. When final disposition is by private admonition or deferred discipline agreement, the complainant should be notified that action was taken on the matter without specifying the nature of the disposition.

The PAQC was initially authorized in 2023 and per statute was to have rules and regulations established no later than October 1, 2023, the rules and regulations had to be approved by the Georgia Supreme Court, no complaint was to be filed before October 1, 2023, and no misconduct before May 5, 2023, was to be considered. The Commissioners of the PAQC voted to not consider any misconduct before the rules and regulations were approved, citing due process concerns.  In November of 2023, rather than approving or disapproving the PAQC proposed rules and regulations, the Georgia Supreme Court issued an opinion declining to review them at all.  Because they were not approved, the Commission could not begin work.  The Geogia General Assembly passed a bill striking the language requiring the Supreme Court’s approval, which the Governor signed in March of 2024.  The PAQC voted to adopt the proposed rules, and they went into effect in April of 2024, which also meant any conduct prior to March 31, 2024 would not be subject to review.

Android:

1. Download a document scanning app from Google Play Store like Google Drive, Adobe Scan, or CamScanner.
2. Open the app, and look for the ‘Scan’ or ‘Camera’ icon.
3. Place your document on a flat, well-lit surface.
4. Align your phone’s camera with the document and take a picture. The app will automatically convert the image into a scanned document.

iPhone:

1. Open the Camera app.
2. Tap the Camera button, then tap Scan Documents.
3. Place your document in view of the camera.
4. If your device is in Auto mode, your document will automatically scan.
5. If you need to manually capture a scan, tap the Shutter button or press one of the Volume buttons.
6. Drag the corners to adjust the scan to fit the page, then tap Keep Scan.

Before Formal Charges. All information regarding a disciplinary or incapacity matter of a prosecuting attorney shall be kept confidential by the Investigative Panel and Commission staff before formal charges are filed and served; provided, however, that if prior to filing formal charges the prosecuting attorney and the Investigative Panel agree to a satisfactory disposition of a disciplinary matter other than by a private admonition or deferred discipline agreement, a report of such disposition shall be publicly filed in the Supreme Court. See O.C.G.A. § 15-18-32 (j)(1).

In the initial stages of the disciplinary case, confidentiality is necessary to protect a prosecuting attorney’s reputation from unfounded charges and to protect witnesses from possible recriminations while a claim is being investigated.

Once the formal charges have been filed and served upon the prosecuting attorney, the policy emphasis shifts from confidentiality to the public’s right to know. The integrity of the criminal justice system is better protected by an open public hearing than by a closed hearing. It is no longer possible to protect the identity of the witnesses because their identity must be disclosed through the discovery to which the respondent is entitled.

Disclosing the existence of complaints that were considered and dismissed is unfair to the prosecuting attorney and undermines the work of the Commission. It is unfair to allow any adverse inferences to be drawn from the mere existence of a complaint when it was not substantial enough to state a possible ground for discipline. The Commission will have greater credibility if it does not release information about dismissed complaints under any circumstances. If the prosecuting attorney wishes to have such information disclosed, he or she may release the information.

With respect to a disciplinary matter of a prosecuting attorney, once formal charges are filed and served, all pleadings and information shall be subject to disclosure to the public, and all hearings and proceedings shall be open and available to the public, except to the extent that such pleadings and information or hearings and proceedings could be properly sealed or closed by a court as provided by law. See OCGA § 15-18-32 (j)(2).

When the investigation and hearing are complete, you can file an Open Records Act Request:  Pursuant to O.C.G.A. 50-18-71(b)(2), the Open Records Officer for the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission is Barbara Baucum. She can be contacted at 912-784-1636. Written requests should be submitted to our Open Records Custodian Officer via email to [email protected] or by mail to The Prosecuting Attorneys Qualification Commission , Attention: Open Records Officer, 463 Johnny Mercer Blvd B-7, Box 318, Savannah, GA 31410