ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — With about 50 in attendance, three candidates for Baldwin County District Attorney squared off at the Baldwin County Annex Wednesday, Feb. 17. Incumbent Judy Newcomb and challengers Hallie Dixon and David Green answered questions about justice in Baldwin County.

“I have dedicated the last 20 years of my life to fighting crime,” said Newcomb. She added that her goal was to be the “people’s DA.”

Dixon, a Robertsdale High graduate said, “The post is more important than people realize.” She added that she expected justice to be “better and swifter” if she were in charge.

Green, an Bayside Academy graduate, stressed his “leadership experience” and his handling of corporate crises as a qualification for the post.

When asked about the backlog of cases in the Baldwin County justice system, Newcomb said that the cases started piling up before she took the office in 2006. She said that she has received increased funding for the office and the office is prosecuting “in excess” of 4,000 major cases and 30,000 misdemeanor cases each year.

Green said his approach to the problem “would be very different.” He said that he would “put a team together to solve the problem.”

Dixon, saying the office was “not just a business,” added that she would consider defendants accused of “lesser crimes” might have some sort of plea bargain or would find some other way for the guilty to play for their crimes.

“But, some defendants need to go in front of a judge,” she said.

When asked about staffing the office, Dixon said that she would give the people in her office, “The respect the staff deserves.”

Green said that he would stress training and leadership and would, much as is done in the private sector, have prosecutors who would head their own divisions.

Newcomb stressed that, “we have an excellent DA’s office,” noting that within six months the staff would be the most experienced in the “history of the county.”

When asked about the truancy problem that affects schools, Dixon noted that her family was involved in education and would put a prosecutor in juvenile court.

Newcomb said she was working with the schools and trying “early intervention” techniques to keep youngsters in the school building.

Green agreed with Dixon that it was an important issue, and would seek grant money to have more staff on the problem.