Serving as State Attorney from 1981 to January of 2005, Jim Appleman built and led a team that consistently earned one of the highest conviction rates in the state.  The 14th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office was a model for other circuits to follow when it came to caring for witnesses and victims of crimes, and Jim’s tenacity in prosecuting criminals helped keep crime rates down across the district.

In 2005, Jim retired with the expectation that the State Attorney’s Office would continue providing excellent service to the people of Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson and Washington Counties.  Sadly, that has not been the case.

Conviction rates have fallen, and crime rates in our area have increased even as statewide averages have gone down.  Veteran staff and new hires are fleeing the State Attorney’s Office, and in some cases the victims of crimes are being told to hire private attorneys instead of being helped by the State Attorney’s Office.  Law enforcement officers are not getting the help they deserve, and when cases against criminals get dropped, innocent people suffer.

The State Attorney’s Office is broken, but one man has proved he has what it takes to fix it: Jim Appleman made the 14th Judicial Circuit great once, and he can do it again.

Elect Jim Appleman 14th Judicial Circuit State Attorney, and give our residents the justice they deserve.