Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Harris a professional, caring prosecutor

I feel compelled to write this letter to the residents of Fayette County on behalf of Fayette State Court Solicitor-General Steve Harris.

A few years ago, we unfortunately found ourselves in the position of being in court several times with a family member. In those times, I really appreciated Mr. Harris’s professional, yet compassionate way of handling each person and situation. I was truly impressed with the way he listened to us and tried to be understanding and supportive as well as stern and law-abiding.

Since that time, my family member has surrendered his life to Christ and become a model citizen. I have had an occasion to thank Mr. Harris and tell him how much his delicate handling of the situations we were in helped us to get through the rough times and emerge victorious on the other side.

My experience with Steve Harris has shown him to be a rare Christian gentleman who takes time to listen and help those in need. He recently volunteered his time to a task force intended to address the needs of mentally challenged adults in this county. After the meeting, he spent his lunch time eating with and talking to a mentally-handicapped 50-year-old woman while others talked about additional issues.

He also invited several of us on the task force to join him for lunch (at his expense) at a local civic club, so we could eventually share our need for services with the members there.

It is hard for me to imagine Steve Harris doing anything intentionally harmful. I am proud to have a man like Steve Harris in the position of state court solicitor-general and would be glad to see him become a judge in the superior court.

Linda Dukes

Fayetteville, Ga.