Gentry's Journey
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Gentry's Journey
How A DA Fights Crime, Uplifts Families, And Survives Breast Cancer
A candid, wide-ranging conversation with DA Lennise Washington reveals how a prosecutor can be both tough on violent crime and tender toward people caught in the system. We trace her journey from a solo law practice to the first black woman elected DA in Alabama, then into a role she’s actively redefining: coordinating multi-agency crackdowns, reviewing potential wrongful convictions, and standing with families at a yearly vigil that calls each loved one by name.
We dive into Operation Python, a targeted public safety task force that removes illegal guns and drug money while raising investigative standards. From there, Lennise opens up about the Conviction Integrity Unit, created to examine serious cases involving claims of actual innocence using advances in DNA and a modern understanding of eyewitness error. She shares how prevention holds the line too: the Helping Families Initiative interrupts the school-to-prison pipeline with assessments, services, and simple acts that keep kids learning and teachers informed. We also explore second-chance hiring fairs where a bell rings for every job offer, plus firearm buybacks that pair gift cards with gun locks and safety training to prevent tragedies before they happen.
Her most personal chapter is a breast cancer diagnosis discovered mid-campaign and a double mastectomy that she endured quietly while pushing forward. The experience sharpened her focus on purpose, service, and the belief that power equals choice—especially for young people and survivors of violence. By the end, you’ll hear a clear blueprint for justice that blends accountability, prevention, dignity, and measurable impact, all rooted in faith and a commitment to leave the office stronger than she found it.
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Correction: Per D A Washington, there are less than 1 % of Black female prosecutors.
Speaker 1:Hello everyone, good evening. This is Carolyn Coleman and welcome to Gentry's Journey. And we have um as our honored guest today, DA Lennise Washington, district attorney. Okay, and she's going to tell us about her role as a DA, educate us a little bit on what a DA does and what she does and some of the initiatives that she has started. And then she's going to talk to us about being a breast cancer survivor. So welcome to Gentry's Journey. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. You're more than welcome. Okay, now can you uh what led you to your your present position? We always got to start somewhere, okay? Okay.
Speaker:Um well I have um had an opportunity from my law training at Miles Law School to do many things in the area of law. I've been truly blessed for that. Um, when I passed the bar, I started out as a solo practitioner, um, handling private defense in a solo firm, and I handle criminal defense, um, family law, uh, federal criminal defense and state. And um, of course, any attorney would handle personal injury. Um, from there, I had an opportunity to become one of the assistant DAs where I now serve as the um elected DA. Had an opportunity to serve there for eight years, and um then I decided to run for district judge, not DA, but district judge. Um, and that's when my story of my uh my discovery of cancer um came at the starts, and then um once I um I served as DA, um I and had to quit my job to run for district judge. Um during that time, um I was diagnosed and I lost the election. Um, and I'll tell you about all about my journey with cancer at the age of 42. But um I had then an opportunity to be the um, I still had my I went back to my practice and then I had an opportunity to serve as one of the Jefferson County uh personnel board hearing officers. And then um during that during that time as well, um I had an opportunity to be uh appointed after losing the election for district judge. I had an opportunity to be appointed as judge as judge for the Bessmer municipal court system and um served in that position. And um and then I had an opportunity to run for DA. Um my boss, who the guy who hired me, was not going to run again, and so that opened the door for me to have the opportunity to run. And while I was there serving as one of the assistant DAs, I had an opportunity to have a bird's eye view of the things that went on in the office that I wanted to see change. So that was my opportunity for change.
Speaker 1:That is wonderful, that is wonderful. Now, if when did you have a desire to be a part of defending people, to be an attorney, uh, to be a lawyer? As a child, as a child. Oh, that's great.
Speaker:You know, we always tell our kids, especially uh my husband and I, we tell our kids, you know, you gotta have a plan B, you know. Um, my son likes sports and he wanted to be a pro-football player. And I was like, okay, son, it's only about 1% of this that make it there, so you need a plan B. But um to become a lawyer was my only plan. Um, my mother had a sixth grade education, my dad an eighth-grade education. Um, and my mother always told me that I was going to college. And she told me, she told me that I was going to be a nurse or a school teacher. And because those were noble careers during that time, you know, that if you you make it a nurse, school teacher, hey, you you you're doing well, sure. And I and so I did, and I was like, I don't want to be a nurse, and I don't want to be a school teacher, I want to be a lawyer, and she was like, We don't have the money for that, and so she went back to you're going to be a nurse or a school teacher. Well, during that time, don't laugh at me, but I loved Wonder Woman. I watched shows with Wonder Woman, Perry Mason, um Marcus Wellby MD, which basically was forensics. But but any law cop, um, Starsky and Hutch. I mean, and so you know we're going back to the day. Sure. Um, I was always um intrigued, law and order. I was always intrigued by court and law and police and and you know, just representing the underdog. And um, and that grew up in me. And I I guess the the desire to serve grew up in me, um, especially seeing my my mom who had a sixth grade education, she did a whole lot of serving in the community, but with without a title. Sure. Um, there was a lady, the lady that lived next door, older lady, she would give my mom a list of groceries to go and buy for her for her. And she gave my mom less than what the food items would cost. And my mom would, she would, I mean, we, you know, her and my dad, I mean, we were, I mean, we we were not struggling, but you know, very moderate income, you know, low to moderate and um more low. And um, she was always go and get those items. And I said, Mom, why do you go and get those items for Miss Holly? She never gave you enough money. And she said, We never missed a meal, we've never had our lights cut off. And she said, I just believe as long as I do right and I serve other people, then in turn God will continue to bless me. And I I just kind of live by that.
Speaker 1:That's great because we were talking about this uh a few days ago, how people shared. Neighbor knew neighbor, uh, neighbor was always you could depend on a neighbor. I don't care. I remember one day I had on a dress and I was just a couple of doors down from the house, and this lady she came in. I can't think of her first name right now, but you know, everybody was miss. Okay, so I'm gonna say Miss Joanne. She was just telling me how pretty I was, and she said, Baby, you got all these ants on you. And she started brushing the ants off me. I'm surprised they haven't. Bitch, and where'd you get these ants from? And then I'm trying to think, me too. Where did that come from? But I'm just saying, people care for one another, and uh I just always think about her and always nice, always cordial, always kind, always dressed, dressed well. Um, but um everybody cares for one another. Uh someone was saying, you know, remember the time when people would borrow a cup of sugar? And I'm like, yeah. Well, I don't think nobody would trust that now. No, no, you don't know what you may get back. You don't. You really, really don't, you know, but I I look back and I I I just appreciate. Um, I appreciate my childhood. I appreciate growing up. So uh, you know, because that is your foundation. Because it's all about foundation. Oh, yes. Um, so it's good to have parents who set an example.
Speaker:Yeah, my mother uh with with her sixth grade education, she set such a high standard for me. Um, because she couldn't tell me how to pronounce words, she couldn't even uh show tell me how to enunciate words, she couldn't show me um how to do a math problem. But the words of wisdom that she would give me in those life lessons and um and how she taught me discipline and structure, and and she would always tell me, Nisi, you got you do your homework, do your homework. Um, but she but she couldn't tell me how to do my homework. And the the thing that hurt me the most um about my mom is that I recall um it was her desire to want to know how to read. And she could not read. And um, and she could read like really simple words. Sure. But my my dad, you know, we we we come from um he was very traditional in that he worked, my mom mostly stayed home. She worked three days a week cleaning houses, and he did not want her to go to school because she cooked his breakfast and lunch, and when he got home, his food was ready, and you know, she was just that woman that did everything. And and I think he felt intimidated by the fact that she may um outgrow him. And um he did he gave her, excuse my expression, but he gave her hell about going to school. But she ended up going, um, he he eventually gave in and said, you know, okay, I you'll go, but just make sure you have my food ready. And um she went to going, um, going elementary, was adult education. And um, but he gave her such a hard time that even then she um she did not complete it. So um that's one thing that that sticks in my mind that my mom, and I actually saw her cry one time because she wanted to be able to um read proficiently, and she couldn't.
Speaker 1:And I I get that when you have um something that you desire to do, you need support and not someone to say, no, no, you don't need to do that, you don't need to do that. I get it, but you know, that was that time. That was that time. That was that time. Uh-huh. Uh most my mom was a stay-at-home mom. Um, the people around us were basically stay-at-home moms and the men worked. So I get that. Uh I get that.
Speaker:Yeah, and because, you know, she couldn't work full-time. Um, you know, we we basically we we lived very meagerly, really. Um, because you know, the job, I mean, with an eighth-grade education, you're not gonna get the highest paying job. True. Um, but but you know, we we had meager, I I come from meager beginnings, but you know, I I thank God for how He's shown me where I come from and he taught me along the way of if you treat people right. My mom used to always say, do right and right will follow you. And um, I truly I live by that mantra. I so do I.
Speaker 1:Uh, I think that was just part of that growing up, the way that people showed up for each other. You treat people right, it'll come back. Or, you know, even if it doesn't, you know you did your part.
Speaker:Yes, yes. So she did get a chance to see me graduate from law school.
Speaker 1:That's great.
Speaker:Um, she did get a chance to um see me build my have my first home built when I went to the DA's office. Um at that time, my husband, my first husband and I had divorced, and I was living with my mom, me and my son, um, in East Thomas. And so her health, um, I was concerned about her health, and so I talked her into moving in with me, and so I built my first house, and um, and she was proud of that, and she lived with me, and she actually uh we moved in this house January of 2004, and she passed away September of 2004 in this house.
Speaker 1:Well, that was beautiful for her to be able to see her her baby girl grow up and have her own.
Speaker:Yes, that was my best friend. That was my best blessing.
Speaker 1:That is a blessing. Now, what challenges do you face being a dead?
Speaker:Well, as being a black woman, um, as black women, there are less than 11 percent of black female district attorneys around this, these United States. Um, and and um and we just by being a black woman, it's like you know, you're you're um second guessed, you know, whereas with the male, uh, a male, whatever he does is always excused. But with um being a woman, you're your second guest, the decisions you make, you're second guess. And it as a black woman, and I was the first black woman to be prosecutor in the state of Alabama.
Speaker 2:Oh, right.
Speaker:Um and and and and the killing part is when I ran, I had no idea that I would be the first black woman. That was not my goal. Sure. That was totally not my goal, and I had not even thought about it. I didn't even know what the pay was, uh, Ms. Coleman. I had no idea what the pay was, but I do recall one of my campaign meetings, and um, there was a local attorney in Bessemer, and he was on my campaign team, and he was older, very, very smart, but made some poor choices along the way. But um, he said, you know, Lenice, when you win, do you realize you're going to be the first black woman to be DA? And at first he said Jefferson County. I'm like, for real? He said, no. He said, no, you'll be the first black woman in the state of Alabama. And so that's prestigious. That's pretty stages. That was scary. It's scary. That that that put on a lot of pressure. It put on a lot of pretty pressure. Yes. It because you know, campaigning alone and getting your name out and doing all the things, that that alone is a lot. I mean, that's you have two paths. You have um the the finance, the campaign finance part of it. And then you have grassroots getting out, making sure your name is out to get people to go out and vote for you. But then when someone tells you you're gonna be the first black woman district attorney in the state of Alabama, oh my God. So that means that I'm creating a path that was never there before. And so when um I I do remember when when I won, um, it was the most surreal feeling. It was so surreal, you know, um, to to be that. And and I really my thing I wish it was it's like I I want my mama, you know. I I wish my mom was here because that was a moment. And um I made a statement to um to the um Birmingham News, and I told them, I said, I you know, I did, I broke the proverbial glass ceiling, but not for it to be mended, but for others like me to come after me um and to create that path for them. And so, and that's where I am now, Ms. Coleman. I have spent, this is my second term as district attorney, and I'm gonna run again in 2028. And um, but I am I'm I'm so much, I've done so many um initiatives, done so many new things. Danny Carr and I, uh, we have set a whole total different bar for district attorneys. We've redefined the role of a district attorney and what we do. And so now I'm I'm at the point that I'm trying to put my office in a place that whoever succeeds me uh will be able to pick it up and move forward and do greater things than what I have done. Even at in my absence, I want my community, I want the best mer cutoff, I want Jefferson County to thrive. And I want um our the community, the people, the residents, our youth to know about those laws that affect them and make the better decisions and um know that whenever you make a decision, there's either a reward or consequence. And um, I spend a lot of time at um different schools telling my students that and my babies, because they're all my babies. Sure. And I tell them, you know, never give anybody your power, your choice and your decision. That is your power, that is your power.
Speaker 2:True.
Speaker:You have the decision, the power to say yes or no. You're gonna go left, you can have the power to go decision, you weigh everything and make the decision. So um I have really enjoyed this role. And um, even though the the challenges that have brought um, you know, we are underrepresented as black prosecutors and being second guess and um just having to work harder than my counterpart um has been um is it's it's been challenging, but I have enjoyed every journey, every bit of it. I let me let me stop. Don't let me don't strike me down, Father. I haven't enjoyed every bit of it. But um, but the things that I have been able to to change to to I was talking to Danny last night and I said, you know, we have truly moved the needle. And um and the things that we have accomplished and have started in Jefferson County, because to with us together, we represent Jefferson County. I'm just truly proud of that.
Speaker 1:Well, what are some of the initiatives that you have done?
Speaker:Wow. So um when I first got into office, I started the um the I created the first task force um that was put together by a district attorney, and I named it Operation Python. And when I got into office, when when you know I'm being introduced to what I walked into, um there were communities, there were municipalities that were uh they didn't have the presence of police officers, and the ones that were there, um, they were not trained well. And there were cases, there were death cases where people were killed, and I had little than a one-page police report, and that was unacceptable. And people were just at that time, crime back in 2017, it just seemed like every time we turned around, there was something going on. So I would I spoke to the then sheriff, and I wanted to um start a task force, wanted to join in with them. He's like, Well, you know, these places, you know, Brighton and McField and Fairfield and Lipscomb, they don't have any money. And I'm like, but we have an obligation to still make these places safe for those people that live there. Um, and he was like, Well, yeah, we'll we'll talk about it later. And so I I mean I talked about it a lot to different people, and I came across Marty Keeley, who um is our the U.S. Marshal, U.S. Marshal Marty Keeley. And when I told Marty, and we were actually at um the Hoover prayer breakfast, I never would forget, I told him what I wanted to do, and he said, Well, Anise, get some of your people and y'all come over to um the U.S. Marshal's office and let's sit down and talk. And and and in my mind, I was like, okay, here's another one of those. Okay, little girl, you know, um, let's talk about something else, you know. But no, he took me serious. Uh, we were able to establish a task force uh based with uh federal, state, local police officers. He was able to get funding from Washington. And um in 2017, I started Operation Python, and during that first time, we I'm looking for my numbers. Um, we had 126 arrests in three months, and that was in 2017, and we cleared like $163,000 of illegal drug money. Um, we had we cleared 212 warrant arrests and um um collected 32 guns and uh number of street value drugs, and there were pictures, it was a big article. I did it again in 2021, um, Operation Python again, and it was always a three-month uh operation. And and in 2021, there were 156 arrests and 47 guns seized, and drugs and um cash were seized were seized also. And um that was Operation Python, and then in 2017, when I first started, I began um for national crime victims' rights um week. I started the candlelight visual where we would um recognize those who were killed in gun violence, whose lives were taken, gun violence, and those survivors of domestic violence. So um we would recognize those whose lives were taken. We would have I would have a speaker there um to empower those families because regardless as to what uh reputation a person had in the community, they left a mom, a dad, a child, a sister, a brother, and they love them. True. So um my thing was to empower that family and give them information. And the thing that I I don't know how I started this, Ms. Coma, but I got the bell, a bell from the Best From Fire Department, and we do this every year, and that's in April, and we named all of those individuals who um lives were taken by um by some form of violence, gun violence, or um the those type nature. And we call their names, and when we call their names, the family would stand and we told the bell, and you could hear a pin drop. And um, so we've I've been doing that consistently since 2017. That's a candlelight visual. I started the first conviction integrity unit in the state of Alabama, um, did that in 2019, started that um with um um cases that um that have come out of the Bestman cutoff because my staff is limited. I'm only limited to um those cases of violence such as murder, um, rape, um, and and we address, we have an application where people can um um put in, um submit their request, and my team looks at it and we determine whether it falls within the criteria and we uh review those cases. Now we're not talking about uh cases that happened last year because and everything is still in this appeals process, but we're this is an extrajudicial process where we look at those peep, those cases that people said, I did not do this. I am asserting absolute innocence. And um, those are the cases that we look at. Um, jails take priority, those people in prison they take priority, and it's not um it was not well received by a lot of the law enforcement community because they say, Oh, you you're trying to put a uh give the police officers a black eye and say we did something wrong, but um technology has advanced in DNA and rape cases and DNA. Um, also we know more about eyewitness testimony. So it's not about making someone look bad, but it's to correct a wrong and to establish best practice going forward. So I've been doing that since 2019. Um we started working in the schools with the um Helping Families Initiative that's in Birmingham, um, as well as Bessmer Cutoff, where kids with chronic absenteeism and behavior issues are referred to our program, and we help those families to divert that child from the school to prison pipeline because that is real. Um, and we do that, we work with the schools and we um refer them out. There's an assessment done, a family family assessment that's done, and we put those services in place to help that family, whether it be, you know, there are a lot of children, um, Ms. Coleman, they go to school. Um, they've stayed up all night. Johnny stayed up all night, and we don't know that why Johnny got his head on his desk. And so the teacher is saying Johnny is lazy, and she try and talk to Johnny, and Johnny gets disruptive, and you know, and he's sent home, and we find out that Johnny is sleepy because Johnny has stayed up all night because mom has a uh drug dependency issue, and he stayed up with little brook sister or little brother and waiting for mom to come home safely. So we do those things to try and change and remove those barriers that will keep that child from flourishing and doing and being his or her best, and it also helps the family and helps that community from having them to find placement. There are kids that are um living in cars with their families. Um, you know, when a child comes to school with soil clothes and and not smelling so so fresh, um, kids are they're mean, and so you pick on that kid, that kid may knock you out. So then you're labeled a bad kid. So, but helping families um initiative, we do the second chance hiring fare uh for those who have um been justice impacted and um those who are just looking for a second chance, and we do that so that that will um reduce recidivism because when a person goes to prison, when they come out within three years, most of them are for property crimes, but they go and reoffend, especially if they don't have anything, a job, the family support system and all that. So, you know, we we we do um second chance hiring fares each year, and we also have the Saki grant that we work with, Jefferson County DA's office. It's a grant for those um rapes that have occurred, and we there were no suspects. So once that person years go down, uh go by, and a person commits a crime, he's in prison, um, his DNA is in the system, and there's a rape kit that's done, and boom, we have a match. So um there have been cases where um we have been able to um prosecute old rape cases um and to give victims freedom and um and um bring them justice. There are uh I mean we we do so many. I just got started a new um victim domestic violence um grant. I get from a DECA, um, I received a grant for victims. Uh we prosecute the the offenders every day, all day uh for crimes. But when you're looking at in the courtroom and and the victim is looking like Rita the raccoon around the eyes, and she comes to you and says, I really want to dismiss this case. Um, I really feel and hit both eyes at the corner of the table. Um You know, there is something that needs to be done. There, there's some issues there. There's some self-esteem. There's some there's some issues there. So um that has always been one of the things I wanted to do. So a DECA, I was able to obtain a grant and working with women under construction um and UAB. Um they handle the research, but we now have a grant that um is called Safeguard. And um victims of domestic violence can um go through this program and it teaches them prevention and awareness and it empowers them using tools. Um Shelly Lane is is a wonderful, amazing lady who's a director of women under construction, and um she teaches the class and she teaches women, she teaches women, um, or victims, should I say, because actually we've had one or two male victims how to not only repair their homes, but repair their lives using tools. So um I I've just been truly blessed um to have the opportunity to do so many things and change so many lives. Um, and being just a part of so many, being able to meet so many amazing women, um, smart women, prosecutors, um, and I learn from them every day, even the ones that um a lot of people have uh looked at, oh, you know, Kim Fox. Kim Fox uh was the um state attorney for Cook County, Chicago, brilliant black woman, um Marilyn Mosby, um that was she was out of um Baltimore. Um what was this um Michael Brown, um Eric Brown case where um he was in the custody of police and um and and he died and he was killed, and um um you know she's a good friend of mine. There have been I learned something from these women. Um Aramis Ayala, um brilliant lady, brilliant. Um she was the state's attorney in Florida when they pulled her over, and um she asked the the officers why they pulled her over and they couldn't really um state a reason. And then when she told them she was the state's attorney, um I I forget for which county, um, but um there was a issue and a lot of it was because she declared that she was not going to um prosecute death penalty cases, she was not sending anybody to death, and um that caused a problem. So um I've learned a lot from these these women and um we share a bond because the challenges that we um we have are not like other people. Um and every one of these women have a story, um, you know, their their lives of how they got to be where they are or where they were in some cases. And um I've just truly been blessed um to be in this position and to change lives not only on a local um in Jefferson County Bestman cutoff, but also and um to be able to um um you know expound and be a part of work sessions and discussions national with national groups. So yeah, I love what I do.
Speaker 1:You have done a lot, and I'm sure it's more. I'm sure it's more. Let me ask you, when it comes to that second chance, do you have the numbers on how how that benefits when the people go out for the second chance?
Speaker:We had just we just had one. Um yeah, and there were over 1,200 people who came this past time. I know it it had to be. Well, I'll just say over a thousand because I've not had a chance to really examine everything um since Thursday. Okay, but um one employer alone, which is U.S. Pipe, employed 22 people. Oh, that's bad on the spot. On the spot. Um, and then you have other employers um that hired. The last one we had was in June, and um every time someone was hired, the bell was rang. Um, SK Employment Services, they were dynamic. They they had been a partner with me since I started, and they were um very instrumental in helping people get jobs. So um, and then we have resources there, voter registration, um, voter restoration, those who thought that they lost their um voting rights for uh possessional marijuana charge, and lo and behold, you never lost your voting rights and information about child care, loss in state, information, you know, education, personal finance. So um it is a very well-rounded um event. And um, in fact, next year I've spoken with U.S. Pipe, and we're going to begin doing a career readiness um and um career development, you know, teaching people um etiquette of interviewing and what's proper to wear and all of that.
Speaker 1:So yeah, that's great, that is wonderful. Now, just uh going back just a little bit when you were talking about kids in school and being sleepy, not attentive, and it just broke my heart to realize that these kids have so much pressure on them to be not only the big brother or sister, but they're really co-parenting. Yes, and then they're parenting their parent.
Speaker:Absolutely, yeah.
Speaker 1:Now, so that that is a lot of pressure, you know.
Speaker:Um that's a lot of pressure, it's a lot of pressure on a kid, it's a lot of pressure, and when a child is hungry, yeah, um, we expect for this child, you know, that's hungry, we don't know that he or she has not had a meal since they had lunch at school the day before. But we're expecting that child to perform um and and do well, and and the child have all the abilities to be top student, but there are barriers, uh family barriers that keep that child from excelling. And um, even with you know, we have a lot of homeless, you know, when when you got a child that, you know, mom and and dad or mom and and siblings they live at aunt's house this week, grandmom house next week, friends' house next month, that's homelessness. That's homelessness.
Speaker 1:I did not realize that until someone told me that uh maybe a year or so ago. And like anytime you don't have a steady place to go, and really, I thought when you moved into like a hotel, you know, like uh you have a house fire. I thought when you moved into a hotel that was okay, it's no, they're still determined to be homeless. I was like, whoa, I I just what we don't know. It's a lot of things that we don't know. What we don't know, we just take for granted they have a roof over their head and they're okay, but I did not realize that was termed homelessness because it bothered me even the more.
Speaker:Oh, yes, that's um oh, and I forgot my gun buyback program. I forgot about that too. We uh do a gun buyback program, and and that um, of course, you know, a lot of people, oh, you're trying to take away people's gun rights. No, but around the summertime, we do it around the summertime, uh, right before school is uh let out or so, because a lot of kids are staying with grandma, or a lot of kids are at home by themselves. So um this is an opportunity to get rid of those weapons uh because you can't you can't restore a life. No, once that life is gone, that's it. And then you're saying, oh, I wish I would have moved that gun. I wish I never had in the house. Oh, you know, so but it's too late. So um we've done well with the gun buyback program. You turn in your gun and we give you gift cards in exchange. Um, and a gun lock. Um, if you have other guns at home, uh, we give you a gun lock and we give you information about gun safety. So that's another um initiative that I have that I I'm very proud of.
Speaker 1:As you should be. Um of your initiatives really are helping the public. They have an opportunity to turn things around, you know, to find their way, so to speak. Um that that's just beautiful. I'm just really impressed. I just wanted to know those numbers on that second chance because um as far as the success, how successful that is it's very well if one person, that's if one person gets a job, that's true, that's successful.
Speaker:But when one comp one company um hires 22 people um what during one day, that that changes lives, that that increases the revenue in our community, that that um diverts shrinkage um from people stealing and causing shrinkage and and causing um um prices to go up, and we have to pay uh because of that. It it means that somebody is safe from um a person breaking into their business and taking, you know, those things that they use to sell you know um to uh transactions that are made to sell things, um, items, because they need money. And so they don't work, and so the only way they know is to tape because they don't have an education, they don't have a job, and a lot of them don't have uh family support because they have drug problems. Um, so um one person, one person, absolutely it starts with one, it starts with one. It's just one starts with one. We want many in that net. When I throw out that knit, I won't I want a lot, but yeah, when I get one, I'm I'm satisfied. But um, you know, I guess I guess with my um experience as a as a breast cancer survivor, it it also put a different perspective on life.
Speaker 1:And I could see where that that would um me um being a nurse, um the slightest thing, you know, a lot of people come in with oh, just a little pain, a little this, a little that, and it turns out into it turns into something bigger. And they're like, I had no idea. I had no idea. And I was like, but we know now, so we know what we're working with, you know, and the surgeon's gonna come in and talk to you, and we'll go from there. And they were like, I had no idea. And the family's the same way, I had no idea. He was just laying around, but I knew it's not like him to lay around, but you know, then he didn't want to move at all. So we were like, Oh, you're going to the hospital, you know, and they you know, they have to have sometimes a tumor removed or their blood sugar is all, but they weren't paying true attention to their bodies. Uh so yes, so yes, uh that little thing can turn into a big thing.
Speaker:Uh well, my mine was discovered during the time that I was running for district judge, and um, I had to resign my job at the DA's office to run. And when I resigned, you know, so I my job was to campaign. So I came home one day and I was looking at this infomercial and they were talking about self-check. I mean, I'm fully clothed, just come back from a speaking engagement, and I, you know, checked up under my arm, my right armpit, and I felt something like I'll tell my doctor, you know, didn't think anything of it because of course it wouldn't happen to me. But um, lo and behold, um, when I did go um at the age of 42, um, it was um it had grown to be 6.4 um centimeters and it was an aggressive cancer. Um, and so as a result, I ended up this is during me campaigning. Um, I ended up having both girls removed. Um I had to lose the girls to save the woman.
Speaker 1:Amen.
Speaker:I went through chemo, uh, which of course I went through three different meds and I lost hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, fingernails come off. Um, I developed neuropathy in my fingers, um, just a number of side effects. And um when when my hair came out, I put on the wig that was based that was basically the style that for my hair. When my eyebrows um dropped off, I just drew start drawing my eyebrows. And when with my eyelashes, you know, eyeliner. So there were a lot of people that had no idea which was the plan, had no idea of what um the journey that I was going through, the challenge. And my husband was in Iraq during the time, so it was my family and um three of my closest friends at the DA's office who now work for me.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's um, yeah.
Speaker:I'm going to name them because they they are my She Ros. Um, that would be Adrienne Ward Belcher, Leanna Huddleston, and Shantae Um McLean Lee. And those ladies took me to the hospital the day of my surgery. My family couldn't go because my niece uh was having a baby at Brookwood, and um I was at another hospital. I was at Trinity and um and had to have both girls um removed. So, and we were me and my niece were both scheduled to check in at the same time. So while she was giving birth, bringing birth into the world, uh bringing a sweet, beautiful little girl, my Camille, into the world, uh my life was changed. And um, you know, as a woman, when you go in and you have that, you know, we know our breasts and our behind, that does not define us, but that is a part of who we are.
Speaker 2:It is.
Speaker:And so to come out and you have nothing other than those uh which what they call them, Jackson Pratt and Pratt brains, yes. I call them cow udders.
Speaker 1:They're close, they're close.
Speaker:I call them cow udders. That's a good description, a very good description. Yeah, because at the base of it, you have this bulb that collects the fluid from your chest. Yeah, um, and you know, they and and and the doctors, you know, you have to squeeze that out and change bandage. My mother-in-law actually, too, she came from Montgomery because my husband was in Iraq. Um, she came and she was um caring for me between her and when my niece left the hospital, they came to my house, uh, her and the baby. So this was the first place um that my my niece, my little niece Camille, this was home for her for a little while. And so, you know, um nobody knew that. And and when I lost the election, I was like, oh my God, I have I don't have a job, I'm going through cancer, my husband is in Iraq. And, you know, I I remember a Bible verse, Miss Coleman, that when I was going to the churches, I would always recite, and that was oh taste and see that God is good and blessed is the man that trusted him. So I was put to the test. And um I trust him, and I to this day I trust him and love him even more. Um, because after that election, losing that election in February, there was an opportunity to um apply to be the judge uh um to replace um judge Annetta Varen in Bestman Municipal Court because she was um she was elected as circuit court judge. And there were like 12 people who put their names in to vie for that spot. And um, out of those 12 people, um, I was the one that was selected. And I got an opportunity to, I started doing programs actually that that were not done before when I served as judge for the city of Bessmer. I had their first amnesty program where people with outstanding warrants, people some people had um every time you miss court, that's a $500 fine.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker:But and so that you get you've missed court three times, so that's fifteen hundred dollars, but you have a failure to make a to stop at a stop sign ticket that's like 70 something dollars. So um we did uh an amnesty um program and we called it Operation Clean Slate. And so people had an opportunity to come in, get those warrants off, and pay whatever it was that they owed. Um, and so that was, and we and then I had probation services, people got a chance to go to GED programs, fatherhood initiative program. So um God gave me that opportunity, he gave me that platform to get to know the community um and to make a start making a difference. So by the time I ran for district attorney in 2016, I had already made a mark in the community from the 2010 from 2011 when I um started serving as judge for the city of Bessmer.
Speaker 1:Okay, right. That is uh, you know, it's it's like you always have been on your toes. I was just trying to say, when do you rest? When do you rest? You know, but when you love what you do, that when you love what you do and you're passionate about what you do, uh, and you don't just want you don't just want numbers, you want good outcomes. That is the object is to have the good outcomes.
Speaker:When my husband tells me I'm married to my job, and that my husband being my job is going to kill me. But um, but we you know he he has suffered through he was he's in law enforcement, so there were times when um you know we we didn't do anything but talk shop, you know. Um he was working our community.
Speaker 1:But Dana was like, I can just oh my God.
Speaker:Yeah as a result, as a result, none of our children, our son and our daughter, um, they were like, uh, I'm not doing that law thing. We're going medicine.
Speaker 1:So neither one of us, um at least they know, yes, yes, they had a bird's eye view of what was done, you know. But they did, yeah. But hey, at least they had the opportunity, they had the choices, they saw what was before them, and they were like, No, I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do something a little different, and that's okay. Long as it's positive and you like what you do, that is what needs to be.
Speaker:Oh, yeah. I was five months pregnant when I um when I graduated from Miles Law School. I graduated um Kumlavadi.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker:And I was five months pregnant then I would so um yeah, he's been he's been a part of my whole uh legal journey because when he was by when I became a lawyer, my son was already here. So he's saying it all.
Speaker 1:Now, how did your battle with cancer, or do you think your battle with cancer influenced your work ethic?
Speaker:Um, I think the work ethic was already there.
Speaker 1:In fact, I know too, just by listening to you.
Speaker:Yeah, the work ethic.
Speaker 1:Because sometimes we are like, okay, I got this to do, I got work to do.
Speaker:It it just gave me really, it just gave me a stronger relationship um with God. It it taught me um how real he is, um, and that if you trust him, that it is conditional. You you can't treat people and live your life recklessly and expect God to bless your mess. But um, I I just I I it just gave me a closer relationship with him. I'm grounded in who I am, I know who I am, and I know whose I am. And um, and that that just gave me a better perspective on life, I think. But in terms of my work ethic, my mom taught me that a long time ago.
Speaker 1:Yes, I I can see that um because you kind of hit the ground running, you kind of hit the ground running and you haven't slowed up, and that's a beautiful thing. Um and this is no take on on um the era of politics or you know, um the venue of whatever, but once you have a passion for what you do and whatever it is, you're usually going to give it your best. I have noticed that in people, you take pride in what you do, and along with that comes your name, and you don't want to mess up your name. Don't want to do that, you don't want to do it, you know. You you want to you want people, you know, everybody, you're not gonna please everybody. Let's not let's not go there, you know. But at least you'll know in your heart, like you say, when you you didn't, but I I will say this. I know I say this a lot of times. When I come home and I know I've done the best that I can do, then that's all I can do. And that all you can do is start fresh the next day. You you have given it, and I always treat my patients as I would want to be treated. Um, now you know you have some knuckleheads coming in now, they're coming in, you know, but you know, once they see who you are and that you have their best interests at heart, nine times out of ten, they're gonna go along with the game plan, you know, and that's all you can ask from people.
Speaker:Oh, yes, uh a kind kind answer turns away wrath, and it does, it really, really does.
Speaker 1:Um, because they don't know how to respond. And you can tell that by the look on their face when when you come back with, all right, hon, um, and huh, ton, you know, no, they wanted to say something crazy to you, you know. But people are people, um, as a friend of mine would say, we are more alike than we are different, you know. But when the core of you is to do the best that you can do by people, then that's all you can do. You might not get all the results or that result that you want, but it's not because of your lack of trying. And that's what I tell people. It wasn't because I didn't try, I gave it my all. Now, you have given us so much information about you, and you have done such good work. And the period of time that you have been there, it is just so amazing. I am so much more honored to know you.
Speaker:Um now you're an amazing lady yourself, Miss Coleman. So I I'm I'm honored to be to know and to be around amazing people. Um, God has truly, you know, put people like yourself. Um, I'm a that you care, you truly care about people in your profession. Um, and a lot of times your your presence speaks more than your words. So thank you for being who you are.
Speaker 1:And and that is what I try to do. Um, I try to come in as authentic as of me as I can, no matter where, no matter what. Um because it's not about me. And I don't take it that it's about me, it is about the people. And um, and and that that's what I want. You know, you can't want them all, but you can win some. You know.
Speaker 3:So in closing, who do you say DA Lisa Oh Washington is I am a person that love God and I love people.
Speaker:I um stand on principles of doing right, of treating people right, and always to try to make a positive difference. Um my goal is when I leave this world, is to leave a legacy, um, a rich legacy of being um able to help people. Um, those things that I've done so that my living is not in vain. So um and and it and it's funny because people um they think that I am working so hard because I I have my goal set for something else. This is all I want to do. I I have no higher goal um that to be than DA. I I don't want to run for um uh attorney general. I don't want to run for a Senate seat or a representative, House of Representatives.
Speaker 1:Um, this is what I love, and this is who I am, and this is where um I'm home, and that is beautiful in and of itself. Um, and and there are people who are climbers, you know, that they they check off where they're gonna go to next, and that's fine too. You know once you know who you are and what you really want to do, be good in that. And if the opportunity opens, um presents itself and it's it's your time, then do that, you know. But make sure you're making, you know, yeah that you're leaving that footprint, yes, so that people can see. Well, I tell you, it has been absolutely wonderful having you on Gentry's journey. Thank you so much.
Speaker:Thank you so much for thank you for having me. I truly enjoyed this.
Speaker 1:I have as well. I'm like, did I really know her? Because she tells me she telling me things I did not know. But anyway, that's what it is all about. That's what the interview is all about. Um but it has been a beautiful thing, and I just want you to um know that um I appreciate you, I appreciate your hard work. Uh I see you you give up yourself. Um uh with the uh Brenda Brown bosom buddies, uh with everything that you do um here in in the county, you you give your all. And that, you know, you're always available if people um, you know, when people ask, you're there. So I'm there. I try to be, yes, definitely. Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Well, you have a wonderful night. And uh thank you. I will, and uh, we will talk soon.
Speaker:Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Thank you for your um audience. Um, whoever listens to this podcast, um, hopefully um it will give you a a broader and more um defined view of who I am. And thank you again for the opportunity to be on Gentry's journey, Ms. Coleman. Thank you so much. You have a wonderful evening.