FANI WILLIS

Originally from Ingleside, California, Fani was raised by her father, a criminal defense attorney, in Washington, DC.
Like many single working parents with nowhere to take their kids on weekends, he brought her along to Saturday morning first appearance meetings where he would represent his clients.

At 7 years old, she was already putting her father's files together. She credits this experience for knowing at an early age precisely what she wanted to be: an attorney.

She went on to attend Howard University for her undergraduate degree and then received her law degree from Emory University in 1996. Five years later, she joined the Fulton County district attorney's office, where she served in several different positions until 2018. Longtime friends and classmates respect her for her fairness, intelligence, and confidence; she's been described by colleagues as a formidable force.

During the many years she served in the DA's office, she led more than 100 jury trials, including the longest criminal trial in Georgia history, which resulted in 11 out of 12 convictions.
In 2020, she challenged a six-term incumbent and won in a runoff election with 73% of the vote, becoming the first Black woman to serve as Fulton County's top prosecutor.

In January 2021, a recorded telephone call was made public. In it, Donald Trump can be heard actively pressuring a Georgia election official to "find" 11,000 votes so he could win the state. Soon after the news broke, she requested a special grand jury to consider charges of election interference by Trump. She then launched a sprawling criminal investigation that included, but was not limited to, charges of attempting to influence Georgia's election officials, racketeering, conspiracy, making false statements to state and local governing bodies, and more.

As a single mother working long hours while successfully raising two brilliant daughters required significant sacrifices.
She credits a village of friends, family, and co-workers for helping her along the way and acknowledges the security risks she and her family have taken on since her office began the election subversion case.

Fani Willis has earned a reputation for being an exceptionally skilled prosecutor who is always prepared and intent on finding the truth. In a statement made in response to the intense negativity against her and her staff during the Trump investigation, she stated:
"We have no personal feelings against those we investigate or prosecute, and we should not express any. This is business; it will never be personal."

Despite the threats and intensity she must deal with on a personal basis, reporters have stated they do not believe other prosecutors they have covered would be able to survive the kind of pressure she has been able to withstand for years now.
She is braver than most and simply won't back down.