Veteran prosecutor seeks State Court Judgeship
Featured Stories, News April 6, 2022
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. –Rupal Vaishnav said it is his commitment to public service and his desire to give back to his community where he and his family have made their home the last 14 years that led him to run for Forsyth County State Court Judge in 2022 and his unique experience as an attorney that make him the best candidate.”
“It’s a way to serve the community for me,” Vaishnav said, “I have the well-rounded experience of being a prosecutor. I have done civil defense. I’ve done civil claims court and I am a certified mediator. I’m the only candidate who has done civil jury work. I am the best qualified for the job and I’m on the road to convincing the county voters of that.”
He began his legal career two decades ago after he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech and a law degree from Georgia State University. He worked as a prosecutor in DeKalb County, one of the busiest offices in the state. After three years, he felt he had reached a pinnacle and decided to branch out into civil practice.
In 2008, he moved his family to Forsyth County and went to work for County Attorney Ken Jarrard in the firm of Jarrard and Davis where he continued the practice of civil law, handling business law, Homeowner Association disputes, and animal rights cases in both state and federal court.
Three years later, he returned to DeKalb County to accept the job as Chief Deputy Assistant District Attorney but he continues to live in Forsyth County where he has served the community in a number of volunteer roles, including as Executive Board Member of Forsyth County United Way, Board member of the Forsyth Couty Chamber of Commerce and as the volunteer attorney coach of the Forsyth Central mock trial team.
Dunn says his experience will make the difference in race for State Court Judge
News March 29, 2022
NOTE: In the coming days, Fetch Your News will present information on the candidates who have qualified for the May 24 General Primary Election to help voters make informed votes
FORYSTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County Assistant District Attorney James Dunn, who is running for Forsyth County State Court Judge, is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Mercer law school where he graduated in the top 20 percent of his law class.
Speaking at the Forsyth County Tea Party meeting last night, he said he has served Forsyth County as ADA for more than two decades and has managed and litigated thousands of cases.
“I had the privilege of serving as a judicial law clerk which is something not everyone gets to do,” he said. “I am the only person in this race who has judicial experience. I’ve handled over 2,000 cases. My opponent is not even at 400. I’ve had over two times the jury trial experience my opponent has. He spoke at a meeting last week where he said, he has had only five jury trials in the last 10 years. How can you say you’re a litigator?”
Dunn has prosecuted every kind of case, including murder, robbery, rape, child molestation and drug trafficking. He is also experienced in civil law and serves as the sole prosecutor in Johns Creek where he is part of the Johns Creek Forsyth County Drug and Gang Task Force.
In 2014, he was inside the Forsyth County Courthouse on the day Dennis Marx drove his Nissan SUV onto he steps of the courthouse armed with several firearms and homemade bombs, wearing body armor and a gas mask, intent on killing someone inside. Deputy James Daniel Rush was shot twice in the leg but Marx was killed by deputies before he could get inside.
Three years later, the FBI came to Dunn’s office to warn him that there had been a threat on his life by the Ghost Face Gang.
“I had put too much of a dent in their drug business in Forsyth County,” he said. “They knew where my oldest daughter went to school, who her teacher was, where my youngest daughter went to daycare. They had all sorts of details. But there wasn’t much the FBI could do until something happened. I still went back to work every day and I’ve done the people’s business. I’ve devoted my entire career to public service and public safety of this county.”