Robbie Treese has served as the Lee County district attorney for 16 years and is always looking for ways to improve.
Treese is an Auburn alumnus who earned his law degree from the Jones School of Law at Faulkner University in 1996, according to his website. He worked his way through school, leaving without debt, and was elected district attorney for a six-year term in 2010.
He has been a prosecutor for 16 years — all of them in Lee County. He said he is the only person who has tried capital murder in the county during those 16 years.
He also said he has tried more felonies than anyone else in that time.
“Sadly, unfortunately, there’s nothing I haven’t seen,” Treese said.
He said his experience is what makes him an invaluable member of the district attorney’s office.
However, being district attorney goes beyond the courtroom. He manages a staff of 20 people and goes out to crime scenes.
“Literally sometimes you have to be in multiple places at once,” Treese said.
Treese works with the Opelika Police Department, the Auburn Police Division and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. He said he often works with each agency’s investigative division and is called to every unattended death to determine whether actions, such as performing an autopsy, need to be taken.
Treese said he is involved with cases such as a stabbing a few years ago.
“I was right there with detective Hillyer helping out with a search warrant,” Treese said.
Treese said he is always looking for ways to be more innovative.
He said he has started treatment programs for first-time drug offenders, increased victim services and increased perjury charges by using multicount indictments.
He is especially proud of a space in T.K. Davis Justice Center designed specifically for child victims.
“That has been one of the best things we have done,” Treese said.
He also said he likes to develop potential future prosecutors through internships.
“We try to give back to that student community here,” Treese said.
He wants to be district attorney for a long time and hopes to make an impact in the lives of everyone who interacts with the district attorney’s office.
“One of them said in an email to me, ‘Thank you for giving me my life back,’” Treese said.
There are no Democratic candidates on the ballot.
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