George Jones III is ready for change in the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. That’s why he’s running for the position.

Jones, a local attorney, officially declared his candidacy for office last week. &uot;I think people are tired of politics as usual in the courthouse,&uot; he said. &uot;Folks are tired of sweetheart deals and political favoritism for the selected few. People say it’s time for some new blood.&uot;

Jones elaborated on phrases such as &uot;tough on crime&uot; and &uot;law and order&uot; to describe his campaign. One method of ensuring those phrases become more than words is to pursue large-scale drug dealers. &uot;It’s easy to bust and prosecute the guy on the street, but until we bust big-time dealers and put them behind bars, the problem will get worse,&uot; Jones said.

Jones added that he would support the Selma Police Department. &uot;Crime will be deterred if criminals realize that cases made by law enforcement will be backed up by prosecutors,&uot; he said. &uot;The time has come for all of our public officials to join together and do something about violent crime and drug distribution.&uot;

Jones said that Selma’s crime task force was a step in the right direction, but he noted that until the district attorney takes a stand to prosecute all defendants to the fullest extent of the law, no number of suggestions would accomplish anything. &uot;I want to provide energetic new leadership as district attorney to help do something about the drug and crime problems in this community,&uot; he said. &uot;Violent criminals have made it literally unsafe for us to go places in our community and to feel secure in our homes.&uot;

Jones pointed to Alabama’s weak consumer protection laws as another problem that needed fixing. &uot;There has not been an emphasis on consumer protection in the district attorney’s office in a long, long time,&uot; Jones said. &uot;When consumers are without a voice, then it is the district attorney’s job to be there.&uot;

According to Jones, when businesses take advantage of the consumer, many Alabamians can’t afford to hire an attorney. &uot;They shouldn’t have to hire an attorney,&uot; Jones said. &uot;The state’s district attorney should help them.&uot;

Jones, the son of George E. &uot;Coosa&uot; Jones and Cora Lee Blackwell Jones, began his career in public service in 1978 as a part-time radio dispatcher for the police department. He graduated from John T. Morgan Academy in 1979. He then attended Wallace Community College Selma and Auburn University, where he received a bachelor’s of science in criminal justice.

During college, Jones worked as a radio dispatcher with the Opelika Police Department and as a sworn police officer for the City of Camp Hill.

He gained his law degree in 1983 from the Jones School of Law of Faulkner University.

During law school, Jones worked as an administrative assistant to former Gov. George C. Wallace from 1984 to 1987. After graduating law school, he worked as a law clerk and staff attorney to the late Henry B. Steagall II, former associate justice of the Alabama Supreme Court.

In 1988 Jones was appointed assistant attorney general, which was followed by his appointment as deputy attorney general in 1993, which he held until 1995. He also served as legal counsel to the State Ethics Commission.